A guide to oral history and the law

cover image

Where to find it

Davis Library (6th floor)

Call Number
KF390.O7 N48 2009
Status
Available

Law Library — 2nd Floor Collection (2nd floor)

Call Number
KF390.O7 N48 2009
Status
Available

Authors, etc.

Names:

Summary

A Guide to Oral History and the Law is the definitive resource for all practitioners of oral history. In clear, accessible language it thoroughly explains all the critical legal issues, including legal release agreements; copyright; privacy; screening, editing, and sealing procedures to protect against defamation; the protection of sealed and anonymous interviews from courtroom disclosure; the role of Institutional Review Boards (IRBs); teaching considerations; and the new issues raised by the use of interviews on the Internet. Neuenschwander's central focus is prevention, rather than litigation, and he cites not only the most recent court cases but also examples of procedures and policies that oral history programs have used effectively to avoid legal difficulties. The book provides more than a dozen sample legal release agreements applicable to a variety of situations. This essential volume will be used by professionals, family historians, and students alike.

Contents

  • Chapter 1 A Case Study
  • Chapter 2 Legal Release Arguments
  • Drafting Legal Release Agreement
  • Deed of Gift Agreements
  • Contractual Agreements
  • Prefatory Language
  • Future Use Clauses
  • Transfer of Copyright
  • Non-exclusive Licenses for Interviewees
  • Restricting, Sealing, and Masking Identity
  • Warranty Clauses
  • Indemnity Clauses
  • Right of Publicity Clauses
  • Legal Release Agreements for Interviewers
  • IRB Modified Agreements
  • Legal Release Agreement for K-12 Projects
  • Explaining Legal Release Agreements
  • Conclusion
  • Chapter 3 Compelled Release of Interviews: Subpoenas and FOIA Requests
  • Oral History as Evidence
  • Oral History and Discovery
  • Three Illustrative Cases
  • Is there a Scholar's Privilege?
  • Is there an Archival Privilege?
  • Informing Interviewees that Restrictions are Not Absolutes
  • Certificates of Confidentiality
  • Admissibility by Statute
  • Special Hearings and Proceedings
  • Freedom of Information Requests
  • Conclusion
  • Chapter 4 Defamation
  • Republishers Beware
  • The Elements of Defamation
  • The Dead Cannot be Defamed
  • Statute of Limitations
  • Organizations also have Reputations
  • Public Figures Bear a Heavier Burden
  • Negligence vs. Actual Malice
  • Limited-Purpose Public Figures
  • Once a Public Figure Always a Public Figure
  • Pure Opinion is Not Defamatory, But
  • The Major Categories of Defamation
  • Professional Competency a Special Concern
  • Suggestions for Avoiding Defamation Lawsuits
  • Chapter 5 Privacy Issues: The Stealth Torts
  • False Light
  • False Light vs. Defamation
  • Common False Light Claims
  • Docudramas and Photographs
  • Possible Links to Oral History
  • Public Disclosure of Private Facts
  • Disclosure of Private Facts in Public Records
  • Passage of Time and Public Figures
  • Possible Links to Oral History
  • Right of Publicity
  • Possible Links to Oral History
  • Do the Dead have a Right to Privacy?
  • Conclusion
  • Chapter 6 Copyright
  • Copyright in Nonfiction Works
  • Copyright Protection of Oral History: A Case Study
  • Using Nonfiction to Create Fiction
  • Ownership
  • Joint Works
  • Works-Made-For-Hire
  • The Five Exclusive Rights of Copyright
  • Length of Copyright Protection
  • Licenses and Transfers
  • Fair Use of Interviews?
  • Suggestions for Analyzing Potential Infringement
  • Pre-Lawsuit Responses to Possible Infringement
  • To Sue or Not to Sue?
  • Registration Status is Critical
  • Selective Registration
  • The Orphan Interview Problem
  • Resources of the U.S. Copyright Office
  • Copyright and the Federal Government
  • Copyright Protection Elsewhere in the World
  • How to Dispense with Copyright
  • Chapter 7 Oral History on the Internet
  • Legal Authority to Upload
  • Copyright and the Internet
  • Defamation Online
  • Protecting Copyright Online
  • Click-Wrap Agreement Web sites
  • Notice Only Web sites
  • Free Access Web sites
  • Conclusion
  • Chapter 8 Institutional Review Boards and Oral History
  • Origins and Applications
  • Trying to Redefine Research
  • The IRB Mindset
  • The Best Approaches to the IRB
  • Conclusion
  • Chapter 9 Is There A Duty To Report A Crime?
  • Societal v. Legal Expectations
  • Federal Misprision of Felony
  • State Misprision of Felon
  • Confession vs. Accusation
  • No Legal Duty
  • Professional Ethics
  • Personal Ethics
  • Conclusion
  • Appendix 1 Sample Legal Release Agreements
  • 1 Deed of Gift
  • 2 Deed of Gift with Restrictions
  • 3 Contractual Agreement
  • 4 Contractual Agreement with Restrictions
  • 5 Deed of Gift: Volunteer Interviewer
  • 6 Deed of Gift: Independent Researcher
  • 7 Deed of Gift: Interviewer as Joint Author
  • 8 Deed of Gift: Next of Kin
  • 9 IRB Consent Form
  • 10 IRB Consent Form & Deed of Gift
  • 11 Permission to Use: Middle & High School
  • 12 Work Made For Hire Agreement
  • 13 Assignment of Copyright in a Work Intended as a Work Made For Hire Agreement
  • Appendix 2 Principles and Standards and Evaluation Guidelines of The Oral History Association
  • Suggestions for Further Reading
  • Recommended Web Sites
  • Index

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