Social History Community practices copyright clearance Depending on their nature and characteristics, many Social History Collections present specific copyright clearance problems. Basically, it’s necessary to establish a balance between access and custodianship. At the same time, the introduction of new information technologies in Archives and Libraries has brought new issues, such as aggregating data in databases, and in general, the digital reproduction, publication and distribution – as well as issues arising from globalization of information and new possibilities for access to digital platforms. Also the exponential development of "content industries" has brought new problems to the holders of information, increasing the commercial interest in their content – and frequently that commercial use wasn’t mentioned in the agreements with the owners of rights. Museums, Archives and Libraries tend to form networks for the exchange of originals or copies – not always accompanied by appropriate consideration of the applicable rights. In this context of consensual sharing, it is also important to mention the relevance of the collective rights management, namely through specialized organizations. Most of collective management organizations, act on behalf of their members, negotiating rates and terms of use with end-users, issue licenses authorizing uses, collecting and distributing royalties. The individual owner of rights does not become directly involved in any of these steps.13 Conflict situations (wars, colonial situations, etc.) and natural disasters can jeopardize the normal application of author’s copyright protections, creating difficult situations, especially in what regards to the succession of the owners or possessors of those artistic or documental fonds. This situation requires an accurate research about their successive ownership and about the legality of the transfer to correctly identify the applicable rights. In any case, the general principle of research and educational use should be a relevant instrument in promoting the cultural values of Archives and Libraries.
