On this page:
Introduction
Today, many obstacles exist in traditional mechanisms for content licensing, commonly resulting in under-utilization of content or copyright piracy. For example, it can be very difficult to locate the appropriate rightsholders, or there are often prohibitively high transaction costs involved in getting permission to use content.
SIPX facilitates legitimate access to content by providing:
- a) a copyright registry, where users can locate copyright information online about a work,
- b) a copyright marketplace exchange, where users can buy and sell copyrights online,
- c) a copyright clearance service that can connect with third party distribution platforms.
The system is designed to give rightsholders an additional digital distribution channel, with options to monetize any content on any terms they choose. Users are able to easily identify the conditions on which their desired content can be used. By automating elements of traditional manual processes, both rightsholders and users can legitimately use content or craft their own individualized copyright licenses faster and at reduced costs. In addition to facilitating the licensing and use of copyrighted materials that have specified terms and pricing, SIPX also identifies public domain material available for free use, or content available under attribution licenses such as Creative Commons.
Phase 1: Print-on-Demand
SIPX has launched its first deployment use, featuring Print on Demand copyright licensing for academic content. Selected Stanford professors can assemble their class materials online into a course reader. Copyright clearance for the course reader content occurs in real-time through SIPX, which has dramatically lowered students' costs in this pilot by eliminating unnecessary transaction costs. Professors and students have many customizable production options to choose from: drawing from clean digitally-sourced content, SIPX course readers feature high quality color printing and perfect book-binding. Purchased course readers print through a new Print on Demand production system installed on campus, ready for immediate pick-up by the purchasing student. Professors can also register their own original works into SIPX and specify terms and pricing so that other users may license those works. This pilot Print on Demand deployment of SIPX uses Konica Minolta's BizHub printer and PrintGroove software system, and is part of the Publish on Demand research theme, a collaboration between Konica Minolta and Media X at Stanford University.
Phase 2: Publish-on-Demand
In the next implementation phase, SIPX will integrate with the intranet learning management system used at Stanford to distribute electronic course materials, as well as explore mobile distribution opportunities.
The Technology
The SIPX platform has focused on the following objectives in building tools that are efficient and practical for all stakeholders:
- Flexible architecture that allows for growth and evolution.
- Improving traditional copyright licensing models by eliminating or reducing transaction costs through automation and centralization.
- A granular rights classification system that facilitates custom copyright licensing.
- Offering a comprehensive catalogue of works, and where possible, providing legitimate access to actual digital content.
- Ease of use for all participants: Bringing clarity to licensing activities through the user interface, and ensuring that participating publishers and content owners incur no additional overhead costs.
