Workbook on Digital Private Papers > Glossary
Glossary - C
Copyright
Copyright is one of a number of legally defined intellectual property rights which apply to certain types of work. It extends even to the most mundane and ordinary documents, like memos or rough drafts. Copyright owners hold exclusive rights in their own works, and copyright law protects against unauthorised use of protected works by third parties. Certain exemptions from copyright apply when works held in libraries or archives are consulted by users for the purpose of non-commercial private research. Existing copyright law applies to digital material in the same way as to paper records, and most of the records in a digital personal archive are likely to remain in copyright for many years, placing restrictions on both preservation and access activities.
