[Web4lib] Reader review capability now available in OpenWorldCat

[Lars Aronsson]

Thomas Dowling wrote:
> Can I just say "woohoo" and add that I want links built into our 
> catalog today, if not sooner?  Maybe now we won't all have to 
> reinvent this wheel.

The big question is: Who will own the data?  Can OCLC print and 
sell the reviews I write?  Can another (non-OCLC) library copy the 
reviews into their catalog, or will OCLC sue them for copyright 
infringement?  Can they even copy the links to reviews into their 
catalog (as Thomas wishes, above), or will OCLC claim "database 
rights" to the collection and require a license fee for this?

Questions such as these make some prefer Wikipedia over IMDb.  
Why should we write for OCLC, when we can write for everybody? 
Wikipedia's contents are available to all under the GNU Free 
Documentation License (GFDL), not only to paying OCLC customers.

The following is OCLC's contract with users who sign up for the 
review function.  It is very clear that the "User may not resell", 
but it doesn't say if OCLC may resell texts created by the User:

  WorldCat® records, metadata and holdings information ("Data") 
  may only be used by Users (defined as individuals accessing 
  WorldCat via OCLC partner Web interfaces) solely for the 
  personal, non-commercial purpose of assisting such Users with 
  locating an item in a library of the User's choosing. Users 
  acquire no ownership rights to any Data or portions thereof 
  provided in any form by WorldCat. No part of any Data provided 
  in any form by WorldCat may be used, disclosed, reproduced, 
  transferred or transmitted in any form without the prior written 
  consent of OCLC except as expressly permitted hereunder. Use of 
  WorldCat for cataloging purposes is expressly prohibited. User 
  may not resell or otherwise transfer Data or any application 
  which facilitates access to or the searching retrieval and/or 
  browsing of Data. User shall not omit or obscure any notice of a 
  limitation of warranty, disclaimer, copyright, patent, 
  trademark, trade secret, usage limitation or any logo, splash 
  screen or any other terms and/or conditions intended to be 
  displayed in WorldCat by OCLC or any supplier thereto.

  OCLC and WorldCat are registered trademarks of OCLC Online 
  Computer Library Center, Inc.

The above text is also found on
http://www.oclc.org/worldcat/policies/terms/

The privacy policy http://www.oclc.org/worldcat/policies/privacy/ 
has a section about "our use of your information", but doesn't 
touch on reviews submitted by users.


-- 
  Lars Aronsson (lars at aronsson.se)
  Aronsson Datateknik - http://aronsson.se