Wednesday, September 12, 2007

If your are serious about using RSS in your library

You have to read this article by Ken Vernum about Copyright and RSS.
RSS feeds do open up a possibility for unfair re-use of written materials for revenue generation or straightforward plagiarism. The author makes a good point about the fact that RSS feeds were designed to increase websites visibility and readability, yet, some use content unfairly and for purposes not intended by the authors. The article also gives some very good pointers about including copyright statements on RSS feeds such as the RSS 2.0 specification and the ATOM draft sepcification.
As we promote RSS feeds usage on Scopus which can increase knowledge and current awareness services, this is a good post that reminds us all that although content is visible, it is still an intellectual property and should be respected as such.