Content Licensing
Buying and Selling Digital Resources

Michael Upshall

Michael Upshall has been in publishing for over 20 years and has been very involved in the move to electronic publishing and content licensing arena. He was the publisher of the United Kingdom’s first online encyclopedia, The Hutchinson Encyclopedia. He understands the pros and cons of the different levels for publishing digital resources, whether they’re databases, journals and their articles, e-books, other resources, or aggregators and distributors of those products. In Content Licensing he helps the reader understand what is involved with licensing digital resources. This book is useful for the audience involved in producing and licensing electronic content. This includes creators of the content, rights owners, vendors, aggregators, software solution providers, and ultimately, customers.

The electronic licensing process is well covered. This book shows the steps needed from a production viewpoint for any market on into the specifics needed for content licensing in the digital market through to the customer purchase of the product. It begins with creating the content, then identifying the market. Next, the content owner takes the steps to license the information, converts it into a usable format, gets all copyright and relevant permission added, then delivers the final product. Depending on the product and the customer, there are numerous delivery methods. Digital information can be supplied through a purchase through secure web site, on a CD Rom, in downloadable files, through subscriptions, or other means.

Upshall delves into the process needed to create and provide the content. He adds a chapter on the technology needed in creating and disseminating digital resources. For example, Music downloads are handled much differently from medical journals. Delivery can be handled in different ways, such as through RSS feeds or podcasting as well as the downloadable pdf or ebook format. Vendors want to be able to track usage of their products. 

There are good explanations of the different business models used in providing digital resources. I found Chapter 5 about content licensing business models quite informative. I had known this before in a general way. Upshall explains the different levels in easy to understand terminology without getting bogged into legal or technical terminology. I had a better picture of the process after I finished reading.

Upshall takes this book further than only what is needed to publish digitally. He explains the aggregation process. He devotes a chapter to searching for information using Google and other search engines. He discusses the copyright process from the producer’s viewpoint and the customer’s viewpoint. The issues involved in copyright are discussed and balanced in a specific chapter devoted to the topic and throughout the book as different areas of content licensing involve copyright needs and rights.

I like the case studies Upshall includes in different chapters. These studies may show an example of a vendor with certain methods or products, outcomes from certain decisions and legal interventions, a company, or other examples that demonstrate Upshall's information.

Content Licensing is excellent for learning the basics of what is needed for the digital resource market. While it delves into the areas necessary to the process, most processes are touched on lightly. This book isn't an in-depth how-to for any of the many steps needed to produce, license, and deliver electronic products. Instead it is an introduction for the reader to discover what is involved. Michael Upshall has written an easy book for you to find out what you don't know.

8/25/10

Michael Upshall found this review. He wanted me - and you - to know there is a website that is linked to this book. It is http://www.licensingcontent.co.uk. Upshall also says "I am involved in the UK with the UK Electronic Information Group, a voluntary association of information professionals involved in delivering digital content. I edit their newsletter, Elucidate." The Elucidate web site is at http://www.ukeig.org.uk/elucidate. If you want to learn more, check out these sites.