Date: Mon, 14 Aug 2000 07:53:06 -0700
Subject: Contentville - from an "official" Canadian perspective....


I understand that there has been press about this lately which is probably 
why I find the topic under discussion on 4 lists to which I subscribe...
Subject:      Theses for Sale / Question of Copyright
>To: H-CANADA-AT-H-NET.MSU.EDU
>
>Message forwarded from David Leyton-Brown <dleyton-brown-AT-COU.ON.CA>
>To: OCGS-L-AT-listserv.utoronto.ca
>Subject: Contentville
>
>Perhaps as a result of an article in Le Devoir, there has been a recent
>flurry of attention on Canadian university campuses to the advertising
>for sale of theses and dissertations on a US-based website,
>contentville.com.
>
>Some have worried about whether this has been done without the author's
>consent, and there have been alarmist emails about loss of royalties,
>infringement of copyright, disincentive to prospective publishers, etc.
>
>I have inquired with the National Library of Canada and with UMI, and
>determined that all actions taken are entirely consistent with the
>non-exclusive license signed by the author for every thesis submitted to
>the National Library.  The National Library contracts with UMI to
>microfilm and catalogue Canadian theses, to include the theses' citations
>and abstracts in UMI's Dissertations Abstracts database, and to sell
>copies of the theses (and pay royalties to the author).  Contentville.com
>has signed an agreement permitting them to mount citations and abstracts
>on their website, and to take orders (which it then passes on to UMI to
>be filled, and tracked for royalty payment).  Contentville.com does not
>have the theses on its website or in its possession.  Contentville.com does
>not fill orders itself, and does not own the copyright to any theses listed
>on its website. The author retains copyright ownership.  As always, UMI will
>restrict distribution of a thesis upon request from the author if it is being
>considered for publication.
>
>A formal statement from the National Library of Canada on the issue is
>posted on their website at http://www.nlc-bnc.ca/services/theses-e.htm
><http://www.nlc-bnc.ca/services/theses-e.htm>
>
>The text of that statement is as follows:
>
>July 31, 2000
>Straight Talk about the Canadian Theses Service
>A number of authors of Canadian theses have expressed concern about
>finding references to their works on Contentville.com, an American Web site.
>The National Library of Canada is pleased to have the opportunity to clarify
>misunderstandings relating to the policies and operations of its
>Canadian Theses Service program.
>
>Every title in the theses collection has been submitted to the National
>Library with a non-exclusive licence signed by the author, which gives
>the Library unrestricted authority to reproduce and sell copies of the
>thesis in microform, paper or electronic formats. The licence also gives
>the Library the authority to contract this work to third parties. The
>National Library will not accept any thesis for inclusion in its program
>without this written permission.
>
>The connection between Contentville and the National Library's theses
>program comes through the Library's dealings with UMI Dissertations
>Publishing, a division of Bell & Howell Information and Learning. The
>Library contracts the services of UMI to microfilm and catalogue
>Canadian theses, to include the theses' citations and abstracts in UMI's
>Dissertations Abstracts database and to sell copies of the theses. As
>our sales agent, UMI is responsible for marketing Canadian theses to make
>them better known worldwide. UMI recently made portions of their
>Dissertations Abstracts database available to Contentville.com to broaden
>opportunities for users to locate titles of interest. Contentville is
>simply another online portal for identifying and ordering titles. Orders
>placed through Contentville are filled by UMI. UMI tracks all sales for
>royalty payments.
>
>The full text of the theses cannot be accessed on Contentville.com, only
>citation information (author, title, advisor) and a truncated version of
>the abstract can be found.
>
>The information about copyright on Contentville.com is misleading. The
>National Library's non-exclusive licence clearly states that the student
>retains copyright ownership. Both the National Library and UMI are
>taking steps to ensure Contentville's statements on copyright ownership
>are factually correct.
>
>For more than 35 years, the National Library of Canada has committed
>significant resources to preserving Canadian theses for future
>generations of scholars and to providing access to this otherwise difficult
>to identify and obtain form of literature. The success of the program is
>due to the National Library working in close partnership with the 51
>universities that participate in the program, the students who authored
>theses at those universities and the associations that support Canadian
>graduate studies and research libraries.
>
>Questions about the Canadian Theses Service and its service partners
>should be directed to David Balatti, Director of Bibliographic Services.
>Telephone: (819) 994-6882
>Fax: (819) 997-7517
>E-mail: david.balatti-AT-nlc-bnc.ca <mailto:david.balatti-AT-nlc-bnc.ca>
>or, theses-AT-nlc-bnc.ca <mailto:theses-AT-nlc-bnc.ca>
>
>Copyright </messages/ecopyr.htm> . The National Library of Canada.
>(Revised: 2000-07-31).
>
>
>
>
>
>David Leyton-Brown
>Executive Director
>Ontario Council on Graduate Studies
>180 Dundas Street West, Suite 1100
>Toronto, Ontario M5G 1Z8
>(416) 979-2165  ex 235
>fax (416) 979-8635
>email dleyton-brown-AT-cou.on.ca


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