Overview

Copyright. The very word can make an archivist’s eyes glaze over. But this book is here to help. Fear of copyright can sometimes make everything an archivist does—preservation, reference, digitization—feel like a prelude to an unintended lawsuit. In this book, readers learn core parts of the U.S. copyright law, how to apply basic tools to address archives-specific issues, and learn effective use of existing exceptions and limitations. The goal is to provide archivists with the ability to navigate copyright to achieve the ultimate archival mission: to preserve the broadest array of heritage material and enable as wide a use as possible. This book: · Provides a foundation for how to read the copyright law, review legal literature, and navigate authoritative websites and news sources; · Promotes a clear understanding of the separate rights of authors, owners, and users and how these rights relate to institutional and general cultural archives; · Clarifies the relevance of the historical landmarks in copyright legislation and case law; · Outlines the basics of related laws and rights regimes (e.g., privacy, publicity, moral, and cultural property rights) to understand when and how copyright does and does not relate to them; · Surveys recent legislation and court cases, especially those relating to fair use, sound-recordings, and alternative dispute resolution; and · Guides archivists in a multi-factor analysis to support the decisions needed to manage copyright issues and risks.

Full Product Details

Author:   William J. Maher (University of Illinois Urbana-Champain (Emeritus))
Publisher:   Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
Imprint:   Bloomsbury Libraries Unlimited
ISBN:  

9798881801670

Pages:   304
Publication Date:   11 June 2026
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Manufactured on demand  
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Table of Contents

Preface Chapter 1: Archives and Archivists: Does anyone understand us? Chapter 2: Conceptual Overview of Copyright for the American Archivist Chapter 3: Holy Cow! Even Saints have infringed! Landmarks of Copyright History Chapter 4: How to Read the U.S. Copyright Law Chapter 5: Understanding Fair Use; Four Factors and Relevant Cases Chapter 6 Copyright’s Strange Relatives Chapter 7: Taming the Copyright Beast: Administrating Archives for Copyright Chapter 8: “Yes You Can!”: Risk Management for Copyright in Archives Chapter 9: “Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain:” The “Realpolitik” of Today’s Copyright Law Chapter 10: Changing Copyright Law: What You Can Do Chapter 11: Changing Copyright: It Takes an Organization Index

Reviews

Written by a practicing archivist who is also an expert on copyright, An Archivist’s Guide to Copyright is the essential tool for understanding the copyright challenges that archivists face. Maher’s book helps practitioners understand both the risks they can face and how to minimize them. -- Peter B. Hirtle, Senior Intellectual Property Officer emeritus, Cornell University Library Fellow, Society of American Archivists

Author Information

William Maher, University Archivist Emeritus, has 45 years of experience as an archivist at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, USA, first as Assistant University Archivist (1977-95) and then, from 1995-2022, as University Archivist and Director of the University Archives.

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