Sonderband 2. International Council on Archives. Dritte Europäische Archivkonferenz, Wien 11. bis 15. Mai 1993. Tagungsprotokolle (1996)

4. Session / Séance. Strategies for Links with Historical Research / Stratégies de Communication envers la Recherche historique - Gonzalez, Pedro: Data Bases and Long Distance Communication. A Spanish Éxperience / Bases de données et information a distance. Une expérience des archives espagnoles (english 319 - français 343)

4. Session/Séance: Gonzalez, Data Bases and long distance Communcation

borating in this new experience, on a three-phase project starting off from an initial connection in basic access between the Archive and the Ministerio de Cultura. This would give us an idea of the possibilities and it would eventually be possible to establish primary access capable of handling up to 30 communications at the same time in the Archive.

6. 3. 4. IRIS Network

Another alternative to evaluate is the inclusion of the Archive within the IRIS Network, which as we said, is the Spanish academic network interconnected with other world academic networks.

The access methods are fundamentally STN and the Iberpac network, the packet switching network. The speeds of transmission would not permit traffic of images.

6. 3. 5. IBM Network

The last alternative being studied is the inclusion of AGI in the IBM Information Network. Access to the network is through point to point lines or by X-25 connection. This is a private network with direct cover in more than 80 countries all over the world, apart from another 70 countries on X-25 connection. It could, in specific cases, provide up to 64 kb/s transmission speed, although the usual is 4800 or 9600 b/s. Sending textual information would also be limited.

6. 4. Legal Problems

One of the problems which the AGI project faces, as far as the distribution of information by networks is concerned, is the discussion of legal aspects (the ownership and use of descriptive information and the images of the documents which travel through the network) and administrative information (how to carry out the contracts for connecting when necessary, what and how to charge for the service).

Before starting up a service like this one, it is necessary to study in detail the legal implications which may exist when using digital images of documents, with the possible differences existing between other types of reprography such as microfilm prints. National and international legislation exists on intellectual property and copying rights.

The Archives have experience of using this legislation, though supplying reproductions of documents in photocopy or microfilm. There is also already wide experience regarding remote access to data bases, either referencial or source.

But sending remote digital reproductions of documents poses a slightly different situation, which mixes the conditions of remote access by computerized media with the reproduction of unique documents which are property of a specific Archive. The possibilities for uncontrolled distribution of copies which have been transmitted are many. How can control be maintained and abuse avoided? Before taking any kind of decision, the Ministerio de Cultura plans to carry out the necessary legal study in accordance with both Spanish and international legislation.

In this study the modes of service to be offered (to research bodies, profit-making organizations, private individuals etc.) will have to be defined, determining the types

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