No One “Owns” That Metadata, Copyright, and the Problems with [Library] Vendor Agreements

Abstract

Librarians focused on copyright and licensing from five institutions conducted research and analysis of peer institutional metadata policies, vendor agreements, and U.S. law in an effort to better understand the legal disposition of metadata created both locally by institutions and from partner institutions across the U.S. Based on our analysis, we assert that the vast majority of bibliographic metadata is simply not copyrightable. While there may be “thin” copyrightable material, institutions should release these records under a CC0 Public Domain Dedication to ensure the widest possible distribution to support research, aid in the dissemination of knowledge, and promote innovation. In this panel, we will review our findings, share our analysis, and make recommendations for libraries to openly share their metadata records.