After the deluge: navigating IPR policy in teaching and learning materials

The law does present a challenge to the education sector when it comes to the reuse and sharing of digital learning materials. But as we argue in this document and the other TrustDR project outputs the cultural and institutional barriers to sharing and reuse are far more formidable than the legal or technical ones. We think that if these ‘soft’ factors are taken into account when planning to manage IPR in learning materials there will be a much higher chance of success. We also think that if approached systematically and with consideration for the reality of people’s working conditions then the implementation of an institutional DRM (Digital Rights Management) system could also play a role in embedding e-learning in a more sustainable and coherent manner than exists at the moment. It is understandable that many people associate DRM with technology (digital), however it is our view that most of the work involved is legal and cultural (rights management). In this domain it would be very, very easy to spend a lot of money on useless (and pointless) technical measures. We propose that most of what we need can be (and needs to be) achieved with ‘lo-tech’ and ‘no-tech’ solutions.