Copyright Acts as Obstacles for Digital Libraries: The Dutch Experience:

The aim of the article is to put forward the view of the national library of the Netherlands with respect to the copyright obstacles preventing the construction of digital libraries. It argues that the Dutch Copyright Act is in urgent need of amendment to meet the demands of the twenty-first century. The Act provides that works are protected for a period of 70 years after publication, during which term permission is required in advance from the copyright holder for every (re)use of a work. The severe practical difficulties arising from this discourage the creation of digital libraries. Reviewing copyright legislation elsewhere, the authors argue that in the short term the most cost-effective solution for the Netherlands would be a combination of the Scandinavian and North American models, and ideally would include a special Internet exemption for non-commercial use by cultural heritage institutions.