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Alternative Approaches:Technical Issues and IPR

Brian Kelly

UK Web Focus

UKOLNUniversity of Bath

Bath, BA2 7AYB.Kelly@ukoln.ac.uk

UKOLN is funded by the British Library Research and Innovation Centre, the Joint Information Systems Committee of the Higher Education Funding Councils, as well as by project funding from the JISC’s Electronic Libraries Programme and the European Union. UKOLN also receives support from the University of Bath where it is based.

UKOLN is funded by the British Library Research and Innovation Centre, the Joint Information Systems Committee of the Higher Education Funding Councils, as well as by project funding from the JISC’s Electronic Libraries Programme and the European Union. UKOLN also receives support from the University of Bath where it is based.

Contents• IPR Issues - Today

and Tomorrow• Solutions:

Applications Protocols IPR Metadata

• What Next?

Contents• IPR Issues - Today

and Tomorrow• Solutions:

Applications Protocols IPR Metadata

• What Next?

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Caching

Server Caches• A web page states that the resource is copyright and

it cannot be downloaded for a period greater than 30 days.

• A user downloads the page.• The user’s browser has been configured by the

Computing Service to use an organisational and national (JISC-funded) cache

• Is this a problem? If so, whose?

Client Caches and Off-Line Browsers• Off-line browsers, such as WebWacker, used to

download resources to allow user to work off-line

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Look and Feel

Many companies (and increasingly universities) value their visual identity.

But use of graphics:• Slows down access• Makes indexing

difficult• Makes authoring

difficult

http://www.coke.com/

• Inaccessible to visually impaired:• Speaking browsers don't work• Can't change font size, colour, background, etc.

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Style Sheets

Cascading Style Sheets (CSS):• Provide rich control over display• Text resources which are network

friendly, can be indexed, etc.• User control over display• Good for accessibility• Important component of Web

architecture

But what are the copyright implications?

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Changing Context

Technologies such as Frames can change the context of resources on the web by:• Pointing to text• Pointing to graphics

There has reportedly been a "Babes on the Web" page. Document held remotely

One JISC service has reported its content has been misappropriated in this way

One JISC service has reported its content has been misappropriated in this way

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"Chunking"

Lessons learnt from teaching and learning software projects include importance of:

• Developing libraries of small resources which can be reused in a variety of ways

• Separating content from presentation and admin

But:• Reuse also implies "stealing" is made easier

• Separation of intellectual content from rights

statements may cause problems

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ExamplesExamples of possible IPR infringement are shown

Examples of possible IPR infringement are shown

http://www.totalnews.com/

TotalNews advertising

Somebody else's content

Content added to document

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LinkingYou should not need permission by link to a resource:

• Tim Berners-Lee's view

• Sensible from management perspective:

– Far too many requests would be generated

– Not clear who can make decision (the "Webmaster?")

But:

• What is a resource (remember "chunking")?

• Linking to a "chunk" may lose ownership, AUP information

• Shetland Times (and other) disputes

• See <URL: http://www.w3.org/IPR/>

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Linking

Although linking issues may appear simple (anyone can add a <A HREF="xxx"> tag to a document), complications due to:

• Frames• Linking to a "chunk" out of context• Other types of linking:

<IMG SRC="http://www.ed.ac.uk/graphics/crest.gif"> is a form of link, which is probably not allowed outside Edinburgh

Imperial College attempted to introduce no-linking from personal pages policy in 1995, but this was abandoned following user pressure

Imperial College attempted to introduce no-linking from personal pages policy in 1995, but this was abandoned following user pressure

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Next Generation of LinkingIPR issues get more complicated as technology develops:

XLink• Richer hyperlinking functionality:

– Link destination loaded inline – Link destination loaded in new window– Link resolved on user action– Link resolved on document load

XPointer• Can link and process arbitrary portion of XML

document (second heading through to third sentence after fourth image)

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Link Collections and IPR

What can I do with a collection of links on the web?

• Follow them• Add them to my personal bookmarks• Give the addresses in a reading list for my

students• Provide this reading list on the web

Is this stealing from the search engine / gateways service?

At what point does stealing occur?

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Rights and the DNER

JISC / eLib are beginning to address rights issues for access to licensed resources:

• Collection Level Description draft report released recently

• Need to define access restrictions in machine-readable format

• See <URL: http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/metadata/cld/wg-report/>

ExampleSearch across datasets for which I (or my University) have the rights to access

ExampleSearch across datasets for which I (or my University) have the rights to access

Rights• Access restricted to participating

institutions• Access restricted to UK staff / students• Access restricted during peak hours

Rights• Access restricted to participating

institutions• Access restricted to UK staff / students• Access restricted during peak hours

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Application-Based Solutions

Applications software can help address IPR problems:

• Use of Adobe Acrobat / PDF (cf. eLib projects)• ECMS software (e.g. Imprimatur at <URL: http://www.imprimatur.alcs.co.uk/>)

• Java solutions (graphic displayed by Java application, not natively by browser)

But:• Application dependent• Cost• Future uncertainty (e.g. Microsoft buy Adobe)

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Political Developments

Global Information Networks

• European Conference in Bonn in June 97• Raised issues concerning Copyright, Data Protection, etc.• Highlighted need for technical, protocol and political

solutions• See <URL: http://www2.echo.lu/bonn/conference.html>

World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Response• DSig: a web of trust • P3P: privacy project• IPR: intellectual property rights• See <URL: http://www.w3.org/TR/NOTE-eu-conf-970711>

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We Need Metadata!Metadata is the missing architectural component from the initial implementation of the web

Metadata / RDF

PICS, IPR,

MCF, DSig,

DC,...Addressing

URL

Data formatHTML

TransportHTTP

The W3C is developing a machine-understandable metadata framework which can automate a variety of tasks (resource discovery, content filtering, etc.)

IPR issues could be addressed in the same way.

The W3C is developing a machine-understandable metadata framework which can automate a variety of tasks (resource discovery, content filtering, etc.)

IPR issues could be addressed in the same way.

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IPR

W3C's IPR activity:• Intellectual Property Rights and the Web:

– Does use of a cache infringe copyright– Can links to resources be made freely– …

• Asks the contentious question:Does the nature of the technology require us to change the legal understanding or status of copyright as it stands now?

• See <URL: http://www.w3.org/IPR/Activity.html>

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P3P - Platform for Privacy Preferences P3P provides a spec and demos of ways of expressing privacy practices & preferences by Web sites and users

Grammatical Model

Grammar and vocabulary for machine-readable statements:

Data Categories: e.g. name, email, ...

Practices: Use: e.g. system admin, research, customisation

Transfer: divulge information within organisation

Release: divulge info to other organisation

Access: ability of data subject to view information

See <URL: http://www.w3.org/TR/NOTE-IPWG-Practices.html>

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DSig

DSig:• W3C's Digital Signature Initiative• Helps users to decide who to trust• Based on digitally signed assertions:

"This web page comes from Bath University Courses office and gives a legally binding list of courses"

• See <URL: http://www.w3.org/Security/DSig/Activity.html>

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Authentication

Authentication:• Important for many applications• Currently provided by Athens • Open Authentication Systems based on public

key technologies and certification agencies (CAs) likely to be important in the future

• Political push from EU, Tony Blair, etc.• UK HE from JISC:

– Funding for Digital Signatures and Certificate Based Infrastructure Services report and pilot

– See <URL: http://www.jtap.ac.uk/bid/c14_98.html>

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Dublin CoreDublin Core (DC):

• Set of 15 core elements to facilitate resource discovery

• Includes a Rights element

• Not being used - regarded as a place-holder for an important but difficult area

Critique

• Godfrey Rust argues that DC is seriously flawed and an integrated descriptive and rights management metadata are needed

• See <URL: http://mirrored.ukoln.ac.uk/lis-journals/dlib/dlib/dlib/july98/rust/07rust.html>

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What's Happening in UK?

Number of universities have provided guidelines governing Internet use:

• Data Protection• Computer Misuse• ..

But:• Is work being duplicated?• Is it still relevant?

http://www.cam.ac.uk/CS/DPA.html

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What's Needed? Catalogue of GuidelinesA catalogue of UK HE web resources is planned:

• Uses ROADS (cf. SOSIG, OMNI, etc.)

• Various categories planned:

– AUP– Guidelines for authors– Local search engines

• Feedback welcomeScottish Universities may have valuable role to play in setting up database of resources

Scottish Universities may have valuable role to play in setting up database of resources

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What's Needed?Rights MetadataDesirable to:

• Rigourously define IPR statements in machine-readable way (cf P3P)

• Follow international guidelines• Link rights metadata with collections of

resources

But:• How long with this take?• Will it be suitable for our applications?

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Conclusions

• Widespread use of the Internet / ease of publishing has increased IPR concerns

• Need to be aware of global technical developments (esp. in W3C)

• Need to be aware of global political developments (EU, Fifth Framework, UK)

• Need to share experiences• Need to be aware of (implement?) technical

solutions