This is what Dr. Durrant, Chief Archivist for Berkshire wrote to me following their June meeting. It seems to say that the status-quo of inaccessibiltiy via the Internet will be maintained.
"18 June 2007
Dear Mr Hyde
Thank you for your messages to Archives Board members concerning publication of parish register transcripts. Board members have asked me to reply to you on their behalf.
Board members considered a way forward for granting permissions for publication of such scripts. Board concluded that they wished to see Berkshire Record Office develop licences to permit publication. We are now tasked with developing an agreement for such licences. Board have asked that the agreement includes terms relating to intellectual property rights in transcripts or indexes, rights for re-use, quality control processes for creating and checking transcripts or indexes, a commitment to a royalty based on use or sales of them, and a time period for which licences would last. These agreements will be required of any organisation or individual seeking to publish transcript or index information from any items which we hold.
While we set about this we have also recommenced a dialogue with the Diocese of Oxford. I have to say that the initial Diocesan view is not to permit any publication of transcripts or indexes online. We will, however, continue our discussion with them in the hope that we can reach an agreement that satisfies owners, custodians and users alike.
The situation regarding publication of transcripts by freereg is therefore unchanged from our correspondence earlier this year. I appreciate that this will be disappointing. I would like to assure you that we are still happy to offer you, or anyone else unable to visit, access to parish registers through our paid research service.
Yours sincerely
PETER DURRANT
County Archivist"
Regards
Peter Hyde
Alberta, Canada
