This is the spirit in which the Portal for Sharing Digital Contents (2PCL) was put at the disposal of the teaching community under the auspices of the National Education Ministry and the internet usage delegation. The platform is at present available from the website of the Ministry and undergoes an experimental-phase within higher education and the network of public digital access-points (Espaces Publics Numeriques).
Principles and exchange methodology of 2PCL:
The advantage of copyright is to allow the sharing under conditions of online content while guaranteeing a true protection of the works for authors and users. This is why the process of uploading and downloading via the 2PCL platform respects the protective formality of French law in particular (articles L122-7 and L131-3 of the Intellectual Property Code). Free access to content thus goes through an online concession contract between the user that uploads his/her work on the web and the user who wishes to download it.
Uploading content: Prior to the first uploading or downloading action, it is necessary to open an account for the 2PCL platform. In the course of this one-off application the researcher has to:
- Accept the user terms of 2PCL
- Fill in the identification form
- Choose a login and a password
The purpose is to identify the researcher, the teacher or the student for subsequent up or downloads as well as to attribute them a dedicated electronic address. Uploading of content on 2PCL takes 3 distinct steps:
Step 1: Access to the authorisation entry form
In this step the author describes the content to be deposited and chooses the conditions for use (duration, destination and type of rights attributed to certain formats…). The content sharing conditions are thus totally in the control of the researcher/author who can access online legal assistance in order to be informed on the possible dangers of the available alternatives.
Step 2: Visualisation of the authorisation contract in PDF format
The author can consult the generated contract following to the information provided and the choices made at step 1. If need be, the contract can be modified.
Step 3: Endorsement of the authorisation
After reading the contract, the author accepts it and uploads the content on the server hosting 2PCL.
Downloading online content: At simple user level, downloading free content takes place in 3 stages:
Step 1: Using the search to browse the resources available on the content-sharing platform 2PCL.
Step 2: Consulting the content description and the attached conditions. This step allows the user to determine if the resource is interesting and be informed about the access conditions.
Step 3: Accepting the conditions through a confirmation email. Thus, the user receives the contract in PDF format and can download the content.
Advantages of 2PCL: In contrast to Creative Commons licences, this exchange model builds on a direct relation between the author and the user validated by a concession of rights in compliance with copyright law. To the user, this platform provides true legal security as the content can be used according to the explicit conditions set out in the contract which can be used as proof. There is thus no legal constraint for the diffusion/exploitation of free-access content.
The author on the other hand is in the possession of contracts stipulating the exact conditions of use with the entire body of users of his/her content. In case of non-respect of the contract clauses, the author can take legal measures. Copyright rules, far from being an impediment, permit envisaging richer uses of free-access content than those based on American the exchange models, for they demand a direct relation between identified parties. The grounds for a communal valorisation of free content are set.
Conclusion: In conclusion, if we wish the scientific and educational communities to seize every opportunity offered by the internet, it is necessary to propose tools transcending legal obstacles, through assisted elaboration of contracts under clear and valid terms. Now we only need to develop collaborative uses around free-access content, representing the true increased value of the internet.
Philippe Amblard, Ecole Normale Superieure, CONFIANCE project
