Electronic rights management in the United Kingdom

In recent years, there have been considerable developments in both international and national laws relating to copyright, as governments struggle to come to terms with developments in technology. Libraries, too, are attempting to find appropriate ways of managing the rights in electronic materials. Based on a research trip made to the UK in 2001, explores some of the electronic rights management systems and solutions being developed in UK libraries and information organisations. Study participants were interviewed about the various technologies that have been developed in this area, the types of materials covered by each, and their costs, availability and intended future developments, with a view to gaining an understanding of the electronic rights management tools that might be available to libraries.