Visual resources and copyright compliance: A case study

Abstract

In a world of ubiquitous digital visual media, available at the touch of a button, where research communication and collaboration benefit from enhanced technology, the laws that seek to protect the rights of the creators of these same resources often appear to work at odds with the concept of free-flowing information. This paper looks at the role of the visual resources professional in facilitating access to visual media to support teaching and research while remaining copyright compliant, thus implicitly maintaining a respect for the artistic and creative output of others and also advocating for a better understanding between the consumer and the provider. It focuses on a case study of activity in the Visual Resources Centre at the University of Oxford and therefore on UK copyright law and licensing, but also considers the broader spectrum of activity further afield.