Research
Without Walls: Copyright Law and Digital Collections in Australian Cultural Institutions
Type: Journal Article
Author
Emily Hudson, Andrew T. Kenyon
Description
This article examines the impact of copyright on digitisation and access to material held by Australian heritage institutions based on interviews with staff and other evidence.
Date
2007 August
Abstract
The abstract provided by the author(s) of this work is as follows:
Digital communications technologies are providing new means for museums, galleries, libraries and archives to pursue their public interest missions, including in relation to access. However, as practical impediments to collection access change, copyright law poses significant challenges to the development of digital collections. This article uses recent experience in Australia to discuss copyright's impact on digitisation, and to explain why and how copyright has influenced the cultural institution "without walls". It also describes recent amendments to Australian copyright law - in particular, introduction of a flexible exception for some activities by cultural institutions. This may represent an important development in Australia, and offers relevant case study internationally, for addressing copyright issues about digital access.
Publisher
University of Edinburgh
Institution
University of Edinburgh
Journal Title
SCRIPT-ed
Volume
4
Issue Number
2
Pages (from-to)
197-213
ISSN
1744-2567
Source
Jurisdiction
Australia
Language
ENG
Size
255 KB
Copyright Information
In Copyright
Rights and Reuse
SCRIPT-ed Open Licence (SOL)
DOI
10.2966/scrip.040207.x
Cortex Citation:
Emily Hudson and Andrew T. Kenyon, “Without Walls: Copyright Law and Digital Collections in Australian Cultural Institutions,” Copyright Cortex, accessed October 18, 2026, https://copyright-cortex.org/research/without-walls-copyright-law-digital-collections-in-australian-cultural-institutions.
Emily Hudson and Andrew T. Kenyon, “Without Walls: Copyright Law and Digital Collections in Australian Cultural Institutions,” Copyright Cortex, accessed October 18, 2026, https://copyright-cortex.org/research/without-walls-copyright-law-digital-collections-in-australian-cultural-institutions.