The relevance of intellectual property rights in the digital millanium

Abstract

The paper briefly touches about the concerns of digital technologies and the contribution of copyright-related industries to the nation’s economy. The issues and concerns of librarians in the face of the intellectual property laws like perpetual dependency; societal rights, pricing, access and ownership are highlighted. The adverse impact of IPRs acts on knowledge society and open source initiatives are discussed. Suggestions like the enactment of Consumer Rights Act and fair dealing rights in the case of digital resources, are made for the benefit of and to safeguard the interests of librarians.