Legal considerations

There are several issues to consider when talking to people about a contribution to the archive.

Creating an archive involves collecting different types of data. Not only do we collect assets we collect the information and personal data held within the assets (i.e. faces, voices, political or trade union affiliation might be evident as much as the year, location and description).

We also collect data on Users to understand who is accessing what files (i.e. personal data collected in order to open an account as well as usage data).

We also hold copyright and ownership data attached to collections of images. As there is a monetizing element to the archive, identifying copyright ownership is very important. A publisher may buy the rights to use an asset and they need to be assured that they may do so legally.

Therefore, the system is designed for Contributors who hold, or administer, the copyright ownership of an item and for people whose personal characteristics are visible in assets to clearly understand their rights in relation to the archive.

All data is managed by Coventry University and as such will be used not only for public access but also for academic purposes (in the long-term public interest) to advance the understanding of Coventry as a city and the discipline of digital archiving. As such, data may be held indefinitely where academic interest applies.