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SOPA and PIPA have been the acrimonious acronyms of the month. For those unfamiliar, the Stop Online Piracy and the Protect IP Acts are versions of legislation that have been under consideration in the US Congress and Senate this month. This legislation was backed by entertainment companies, publishers, pharmaceutical companies and other groups who seek to curtail internet piracy.
While the legislation had significant support only a few weeks ago, "blackout" protests staged by a variety of major internet players, including Google and Wikipedia, caused a number of key supporters to switch sides and eventually led to its proponents deciding it was in need of a complete redraft.
Indeed, SOPA and PIPA opposition is formidable: major tech executives such as Sergey Brin, co-founder of Google; Jack Dorsey, co founder of Twitter; Reid Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn; and Arianna Huffington, co-founder of The Huffington Post, issued An Open Letter to Washington in which they pointed out that they have "had the good fortune to found internet companies and non-profits in a regulatory climate that promotes entrepreneurship, innovation, the creation of content and free expression online" and they "urge Congress to think hard before changing the regulation that underpins the internet. Let's not deny the next generation of entrepreneurs and founders the same opportunities that we all had".
Of primary concern to those that opposed SOPA was that the legislation is overly broad and, as such, could be used to require ISPs to block access to sites - actions that many regard as censorship. Corey Williams, Associate Director, Office of Government Relations at the American Library Association, voiced the ALA's opposition. In addition to expressing the organisation's concerns over any legislation that may curtail free speech, he also pointed out the worrisome possibility that the sweeping nature of these bills might put libraries in the crosshairs of criminal prosecution. According to Williams, "Ultimately, this bill brings into the realm of possibility the criminal prosecution of a library for streaming or public performances for educational purposes (yikes!)".
Without a doubt, librarians have been at the forefront of supporting free speech. They have also been at the front lines of educating content users about copyright (and wrongs). Certainly, the information profession is dependent upon the creation of high quality content and, in turn, supports the revenue models that make the creation of content possible. Information professionals are a strong link in the information value chain.
In many organisations, information professionals have a pivotal role in information governance; they help ensure that content is used in ways consistent with copyright and specific usage licences. This week, we published the FreePint Research Report: Information Governance Policies and Priorities, which explores the full range of information governance policies and practices including how information is stored, shared, managed and released in order to comply with relevant laws and regulations as well as to maximise its value within the organisation.
FreePint Research found that copyright risk management jumped in its significance for information managers this year. However, to manage their information better, information managers continue to seek best practices and consensus in the industry for copyright norms to help them govern the flow of information effectively within their organisations.
Certainly, these norms are a moving target and the FreePint Research Report: Information Governance Policies and Priorities provides insights into how information managers at leading organisations are strategically approaching these challenges, as well as those of other records management legislation.
Interestingly, the report found that one of the areas of highest priority for information managers is increasing user awareness of information resources. This aspect of information governance focuses most on building value through sharing and dissemination of resources rather than locking down and restricting access to resources.
Smart information managers know that information investments take managing to realise value. Certainly, regulation is part of the picture. However in today's information value chain, content discovery is essential for content managers, users and creators to realise the full value of information.
Best regards,
Michelle Manafy,
Director of Content
FreePint
View the rest of the FreePint Newsletter No. 343, in which this editorial first appeared >> |
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