As part of the broader metadata picture, I want to recommend a study on
rights expression languages recently completed by Karen Coyle for the
Library of Congress. It was commissioned by the Network Development and
MARC Standards Office to help establish a methodology for examining
emerging rights languages. It is a contribution to the information
community dialog on issues and tools for controlling digital rights. The
study compares four major languages – MPEG21/5, ODRL, Creative Commons, and
METSRights – plus a few others, and establishes a taxonomy of
characteristics to consider when selecting a language for a particular
application. The report is also useful to clarify thinking on directions
that need to be pursued in new rights expression language developments over
the next few years. Rights management in the digital arena is a fast
moving target, as is exemplified by the recent changes in ownership of
XrML. Coyle's report is accessible from the following site:
www.loc.gov/standards.
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Sally H. McCallum, Chief, Network Development and
MARC Standards Office, Library of Congress
Washington, DC 20540 USA
[log in to unmask] (Fax: 1-202-707 0115) (Voice: 1-202-707 5119)
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