Without question, the most contentious issue is the electronic environment and who owns what, where, and how. Certainly, licensing of information, be it a CD-ROM, an online service, or an electronic journal, is at issue. Sometimes changes in the law assist in library operations, such as the amendment that authorizes libraries to make backup copies of computer programs. Copyright represents a set of general regulations negotiated through statutory enactment. The same laws and guidelines apply to everyone in the country.
Licenses are contracts.
Typical licensing agreements outline the lessee's responsibility for such things as security, customer service, payment and delivery, limitations and warranties, termination, indemnification, and assignment. The library should maintain a master file of copies of all the licensing agreements and contracts. The key is knowing what is in the agreement before purchasing. In addition to copying that would fall within the fair-use section of the law, certain additional types of library copying are authorized by Section 108 of the law. The collections of the library are open to the public or available not only to researchers affiliated with the library but also to other persons doing research in a specialized field.