New Zealand Film Archive
[ Last Updated 4 November 2005 ]
Date Received: 2003-02-27
Original version: Digital Copyright: Position Paper Submissions: No. 52: New Zealand Film Archive [51KB PDF]
The Film Archive
To: Ministry of Economic Development
Subject: Digital technology and the Copyright Act 1994
Comments on Proposed Policy Responses
Date: 21.02.2003
Contents
Educational Institutions, Libraries and Archives
Archiving and Preservation
28 The Ministry seeks views on the appropriateness of an exception that would allow the digital archiving of entire collections, on condition that those digital copies not be made available to the public unless the original work is lost, damaged or at risk.
Comment
Every original film and video item in the Film Archive's collection must be copied in order to prevent damage through continued use, as well as to keep ahead of format obsolescence.
It is entirely likely that in the coming years the preservation format to be copied to will be hard drives rather than archival-standard videotape. We would support the proposed exception then to allow digital archiving of entire collections.
The Film Archive differs from educational institutions and libraries in this regard, in that its entire film and video collection must be copied for preservation purposes.
It is worth noting that an original work may be lost, damaged, at risk, or unable to be viewed because the playback equipment required to run it is obsolete.
Digitising and Making Available
29 The Ministry's preferred response is to make provision for libraries and archives to provide access to material that they receive in digital form through on-site terminals, but to not permit them to digitise hard-copy material for this purpose. The Ministry is interested in views on whether this material could also be made available through restricted remote access.
Comment
The majority of collection items received by the Film Archive are "hard-copy" i.e. films, video tapes, and papers. However we do need to be able to provide public access by means of on-site terminals, even though the originals were not born digital.
In terms of restricted remote access in digital form, we would like to be able to use our website for this purpose (with appropriate copy protection measures).
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