Copyright law protects:

  • The right of creators to be recognised and rewarded for their work;
  • The public interest in freedom of access to information and ideas.

The copyright situation in every country is different however the position in respect to print materials is established and well understood. However, the situation in respect to electronic resources is still being worked out due to the rapidly evolving nature of the technologies involved and is not yet clear.

National bibliographic agencies must recognise that creators and publishers have a legitimate right to protect their creations. National bibliographic agencies must work with publishers and creators to build confidence that access to electronic resources deposited with the agency will be secure.