The Forum of National Archivists (FAN) invites ICA members and the broader archival community to join its first webinar of the year, exploring the vital intersection between copyright and archives. Taking place on 3 April, this session will be led by Dr. Jean Dryden and Malcolm Todd, both members of the Expert Group on Legal Matters (EGLM).
The discussion will centre on a key question: How does copyright impact archival work—does it support or hinder the archival mission? Unlike data protection and access rights, copyright is a property right that directly influences the acquisition, management, and accessibility of archival materials, particularly in the digital era. Understanding these implications is crucial to ensuring archives remain reliable, authentic, and accessible.
During this session, our expert speakers will present ICA’s work in copyright advocacy, best practices, and education, while sharing key resources and actionable steps to help archival professionals navigate copyright challenges effectively.
Find more details about our guest speakers and their presentations below.
KEY INFORMATION
Date and time
Thursday, 3 April 2025, 14:00 – 15:30 CET (Paris time). To confirm the date/time of this session in your time zone, please use the following link.
Location
Online
Language
English. Interpretation into French and Spanish will be provided.
Date and time
Thursday, 3 April 2025, 14:00 – 15:30 CET (Paris time). To confirm the date/time of this session in your time zone, please use the following link.
Location
Online
Language
English. Interpretation into French and Spanish will be provided.
The debate is free and open to all. Registration is required to receive full details of your participation in this session.
Abstract
Do your country’s provisions for copyright hamper or help the carrying out of the archival mission? How does the profession square up to the challenge? In particular, what support is available from the ICA?
Copyright differs from data protection and access rights in that it is a property right, rather than strictly an information right. As a property right, it is abstract as focused on compensating creative activity. It can, though, have significant consequences for the acquisition, management, and accessibility of archival material, issues that gain in complexity in the digital domain. A clear understanding of the impact of copyright on archival practice is essential if reliable, authentic archival material is to take its rightful place in society’s social and intellectual discourse or in the outputs of artificial intelligence.
The ICA’s portfolio of activity on copyright is in three interrelated areas: advocacy, practice, and education. In this session Dr Jean Dryden (ICA’s representative to WIPO’s Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights 2015-2025) and Malcolm Todd, Chair of the Expert Group on Legal Matters will set out the products of the past few years and suggest practical further steps to support the ICA community’s expertise in this area.
Speakers
Dr Jean Dryden
Dr Jean Dryden is an archival consultant and scholar in Toronto, Canada, and a recognized expert on copyright in archival materials. She is a member of ICA Expert group on Legal Matters (EGLM), and from 2015 to 2025 has represented the ICA at WIPO’s Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights. She is the author of Copyright Exceptions for Archives: A Checklist, a toolkit that enables archivists to evaluate how well their nation’s copyright laws support the archival mission.
Malcolm Todd
Malcolm Todd is Head of Policy at The National Archives, UK leading a team with responsibility for the UK public records system, the re-use of public sector information, the Management of Crown (state) copyright and official publishing and the impact of other government policies on the wider archives sector. He has chaired the ICA Expert Group on Legal Matters since 2019.
Moderator
Simon Froude
Simon Froude is Director-General of the National Archives of Australia. His appointment commenced on 23 May 2022. Prior to joining the National Archives, Simon was Director and State Archivist at State Records of South Australia, where he was responsible for the preservation and accessibility of some of the state’s most important historical records, as well as records and information management, freedom of information and privacy, for the South Australian Government. As Director-General, Simon is leading the National Archives through the next phase of its transformation to ensure it continues as a beacon for best practice management of the official records of the Commonwealth of Australia, and that Australian Governmental information of enduring significance is secured, preserved and available to government agencies, researchers and the community. Simon’s driving passion is to improve the accessibility of government records, with a particular focus on improving access to individuals and groups impacted by past government policy.
This virtual event is part of FAN’s ongoing efforts to foster open discussions and collaboratively tackle the pressing challenges facing the archival community. To explore past FAN virtual talks, click the link below.
