The next 10 years

[millymcb]

Charge or not - I'm still not going to send it!

Milly

[FosseWay]

Whilst I understand your point, FosseWay, I still believe that the potential for exploitation is there, but if it was to be made plain, and I mean a lot plainer than a computer software "agreement" that the transcriptions might later but put out for paid viewing, then that is OK. I assume you mean simply the preservation of documents to be provided free by the state, fine, but what happens when a government takes power which is obsessed with cutting public expenditure? I suspect these services would be the first to go, as I fear places like the National Archive and County Record Offices may do in the near future.

The only transcription-to-PPV service I'm aware of is Ancestry's, which I've transcribed for. I can't remember what is specifically written in the T&Cs when you sign up, but I think the hypothetical 'reasonable person' as defined for legal purposes would be expected to understand that if they transcribe records for a paying site using proprietary software developed by that company which will ultimately appear among the resources available on that site, then people will have to pay to access them. I can see that it is theoretically possible for exploitation or obtaining services under false pretences to occur in the situations we're discussing, but IMO this doesn't apply to the Ancestry transcription project and in any case the problem lies in the dishonesty, rather than the fact that the dishonest organisation charges for the services it provides.

On your comment about the fate of archives in the current financial climate, I quite agree with you, although I wouldn't have thought that currently preserved collections are at risk of damage or decay. The bigger risk is that public access to them may be restricted if the buildings housing them close.

[Redroger]

On your comment about the fate of archives in the current financial climate, I quite agree with you, although I wouldn't have thought that currently preserved collections are at risk of damage or decay. The bigger risk is that public access to them may be restricted if the buildings housing them close.

I just hope you're right about this, but I have terrible fears about the integrity of archives over the next few years, and once lost, unless already copied, gone for ever.

[maryd]

Should I be concerned? My daughter (at York University studying history and archaeology) contacted our local RC parish and volunteered to transcribe their records to provide the parish with a searchable database...she is nearing completion of the funeral records from 1924 to 2000, and has transcribed over 2500 records into a Microsoft Access database. Baptism and marriage transcriptions will follow. It is not easy.....local knowledge is a boon with placenames, but latinised  first names can be difficult and we both check and cross-check the transcription. Who owns the database and can it be sold? We thought we were doing the parish a good deed (and genealogists, and of course, ourselves as it is our own parish where we presume lots of our rellies are recorded!!!!!). We (rightly or wrongly) presumed the parish would own the completed database, but the thought of selling this to a commercial company for profit is a little disconcerting........can someone tell me who 'owns' the database please? We have no objection to the parish making 'a bob or two' ....and will still complete transcriptions, but we are interested in the 'copyright/ ownership' issues. Thanks everyone
Mary

[Guy Etchells]

Your daughter will own the database right for 15 years (a type of copyright for facts) for her transcripts. Unless she assigns the right to the parish concerned or to her university etc.

Cheers
Guy

[maryd]

Thank you for your very prompt response..........can she then use the databse to answer queries? Or post a link to allow free searches?

[Guy Etchells]

She could use that database in any way she pleases.
Cheers
Guy