Copyright Protection for Philippine Publications

Archivists and librarians bear enormous responsibilities in providing access to materials under copyright without documented permission in that they share with their patrons any liability for copyright violation. They are uncomfortably placed on the line between the right of the intellectual property-holder to the fruit of his/her labor, on the one hand, and the right of the public to know, on the other. At the same time, archivists and librarians must serve the demands of research and scholarship. An added complication is the ease with which present-day technology enables users of information to duplicate or replicate copyrighted material. Thus, copyright laws have become harder to enforce and interpret. The line should be drawn by the law, but in many cases, judgment calls are made, and the judgment often is made wittingly or unwittingly by the archivist or librarian. When the right to know comes into conflict with the right of the author or creator to the fruit of labor, the archivist or librarian is bound to rely on the law. To anticipate and avert whatever legal problems may arise, and to provide a clear understanding of what may and may not be done with copyrighted (and even uncopyrighted)materials, this paper discusses issues and concerns of Filipino librarians and archivists with the new Philippine Copyright Law, and seeks to answer the following questions: • What copyright problems are encountered in Philippine libraries/archives? • What is protected by the Philippine Copyright Law? • What reproduction rights do Philippine libraries/archives have under the law? • How can these libraries/archives avoid copyright liability? • What can Filipino librarians do to help in the enforcement of the law