It is necessary to control access to uphold licence agreements and prevent unauthorised use and possible mis-use of data. This is also relevant to copyright and rights management issues. For example, a resource that has been cleared for public dissemination via the Internet would not require special access controls, whilst one which has only been cleared with a specific group of users in mind may need to provide controls to fulfil the licence agreement. It is also important to bear in mind that given the current free access culture of the Internet, users often expect to be able to reach information freely and may resent the need to register for resources. Therefore, access control procedures should be as simple for users to interact with as possible.
Complicated procedures can deter use.
User registration and authentication Access to networked resources can be controlled through user registration and authentication. This is aided by security and data protection methods. Registration User registration not only controls access to who may view or use a resource, but also permits t he formalising of usage agreements and the m onitoring of usage. Formalising usage agreements The registration process can ensure that the user is aware of, has read the license registration and copyright documents, and agreed to them. By agreeing with these documents the user is then legally bound by them.