Proposing a Framework for Copyright of Library Resources in Iran: A Comparative Study of Copyright Laws in Iran, Australia, and the United States

Papi, Zeinab

doi:10.22054/dcm.2025.76970.1225

Proposing a Framework for Copyright of Library Resources in Iran: A Comparative Study of Copyright Laws in Iran, Australia, and the United States

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Zeinab Papi

Assistant Professor, Department of Information Management and Knowledge Organization, National Library and Archives of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Tehran, Iran

10.22054/dcm.2025.76970.1225

Abstract

Purpose: This study was aimed at analyzing the copyright laws of Iran, Australia, the U.S. and library portals, thereby providing a framework for the copyright of library resources for the NLAI while considering the current situation and the domestic Iranian laws.

Method: This is an applied study falling in the category of qualitative research. Documentary analysis method and comparative method were used to resolve the problem and answer the questions of the research. The two National Library of Australia (NLA) and Library of Congress (LC) together with the NLAI formed the research community. In addition, the Iranian Law for the Protection of Authors, Composers and Artists Rights (1970); the Australian Copyright Act (1968) and the U.S. Copyright Law (1976) were purposefully selected as three main resources among other documents and resources.

Findings: Findings revealed that the dimensions of fair and non-profit use, duration of copyright, license and agreement, copyright policy, moral rights, economic rights and infringement of copyrights were the main dimensions that, along with 49 main components, formed the proposed framework for the copyright of information resources for the NLAI.

Results: It should be acknowledged that there are some differences in different copyright fields between countries' laws, and each country takes into account its domestic conditions to compile and revise the laws. By following the laws of other countries, it is possible to effectively improve and develop copyright laws.

Keywords

Library resources

National Library and Archives of the I.R. of Iran

National Library of Australia (NLA)

Library of Congress (LC)

Akbari, M. (2018). Validation and Quality Assessment in QUAN, QUAL, and Mixed Method Research. Methodology of Social Sciences and Humanities, 24(94), 23- 45. 10.30471/mssh.2018.1448 [in Persian].

Andrew, T. (2004). Intellectual property and electronic theses. Available at: https://b2n.ir/s18883

Beigzadeh, S. & Rasouli, B. (2016). Study on economic and moral rights of copyright of student's theses and dissertations in Iran. Research Project, Iranian Research Institute for Information Science and Technology [in Persian].

Byrd, G. D. (1981). Copyright Compliance in Health Sciences Libraries: A Status Report Two Years after the Implementation of PL 94-553. Bull. Med. Libr. Assoc 69 (2): 224-230. https://b2n.ir/y47015

Congleton, R. J. & Yang, Sh. Q (2017). A Comparative Study of Education Exemptions to Copyright in the United States and Europe. Athens Journal of Law 3(1): 47-60. https://www.athensjournals.gr/law/2017-3-1-4-Congleton.pdf

Cornish, G. P. (2006). Copyright and National Libraries - Is there a Conflict? ALEXANDRIA 18 (1). https://doi.org/10.1177/095574900601800101

Crews, K. (2008). Study on copyright limitations and exceptions for libraries andarchives .http://www.wipo.int/edocs/mdocs/copyright/en/sccr_17/sccr_17_2.pdf

Electronic Information for Libraries (2009). Handbook Copyright and Related Issues for Libraries. https://b2n.ir/k94567

Gasaway, L. N. (2003). Copyright Ownership & the Impact on Academic Libraries. DePaul J. Art, Tech. & Intell. Prop. L 13 (2). https://via.library.depaul.edu/jatip/vol13/iss2/2

Ghaboli Dorafshan, S. M. M., Mohseni, S., & Ghasemi, H. (2015). A comparative study of the copying of literary and artistic works by libraries. Library and Information Sciences 16 (2): 239-261 [in Persian].

Holland, B. L. (2006). Moral Rights Protection in the United States and the Effect of the Family Entertainment and Copyright Act of 2005 on U.S. International Obligations. Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law 39 (1): 216- 252. https://b2n.ir/r56107

Horri, A. (1993). A review of information and information science. Tehran: Iran Public Libraries, Library publication [in Persian].

Hossain, Z. (2020). Copyright literacy of library and information science professional's in Bangladesh. Ifla Journal 47 (1): 78-90. https://doi.org/10.1177/0340035220904067

Law for the Protection of Authors, Composers and Artists Rights (1970). https://rc.majlis.ir/fa/law/show/96427 [in Persian].

Lear, Ch. (2022). Controlled Digital Lending of Video Resources: Ensuring the Provision of Streaming Access to Videos for Pedagogical Purposes in Academic Libraries. Journal of Copyright in Education and Librarianship 5(1): 1-19. https://doi.org/10.17161/jcel.v5i1.14807

Mirshamsi, M. H. Hamedi, M. (2020). Analysis of the Copyright System Practical Procedure on the Moral Right. Private Law Research 9 (32). https://b2n.ir/u59899 [in Persian].

Onoyeyan, G., & Awe, O. (2018). Role of librarians in the protection of copyright in Nigeria. International Journal of Library and Information Science 10(7): 71-77. https://b2n.ir/u29205

Panezi, A. (2014). Legal Challenges for Online Digital Libraries. IDP, Revista de Internet, Derecho y Política 19: 18-34. http://hdl.handle.net/1814/40446

Papi, Z. (2015). Copyright in cyberspace with emphasis copyright in Iran. Doctoral Dissertation, Islamic Azad University, science and research branch, Tehran [in Persian].

Papi, Z. (2024). An Analysis of the Copyright Protection of Works in Libraries: A Case Study of the National Library of Iran as the Authoritative Institution of Iranian Libraries. Library and Information Sciences, 27(2), 5-41. 10.30481/lis.2023.419051.2100 [in Persian].

Rezaei, A. (2011). Comparative study of the intellectual property of Academic Works. MS thesis, University of Tarbiat Modares, Tehran [in Persian].

Sadeqi Fasai, S., & Erfanmanesh, I. (2015). Methodological Principles of Documentary Research in Social Sciences; Case of Study: Impacts of Modernization on Iranian Family. Strategy for Culture, 8(29), 61-91. [in Persian].

Schöpfel, J., & Soukouya, M. (2013). Providing Access to Electronic Theses and Dissertations: A Case Study from Togo. D-Lib Magazine 19 (11/12).10.1045/november2013-schopfel

Sirhan, A. A. (2010). Intellectual property and copyright laws and their impact on digital resources in Jordan. European Journal of Scientific Research 45: 301-309.

Ujing, Zh. (2012). Protection of intellectual property rights in the development and utilization of the dissertation process. Cross-Cultural Communication (CSCanada) 8(5): 127.

U.S. Copyright Law (1976) U.S. Copyright Office (2020) Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17) and Related Laws Contained in Title 17 of the United States Code. https://b2n.ir/f80352

Yoon, H-Y. & Kim, S-Y. (2012). On the improvement of the Copyright Law of Korea for library services for persons with disabilities. Journal of Librarianship and Information Science 45 (2): 140-152. 10.1177/0961000612457106