Copyright clearing methods for electronic document delivery in Korea

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to summarize the current Korean copyright law and its effect on electronic document delivery services in Korea, and to recommend solutions for Korean libraries and information centers. Design/methodology/approach - The authors present information based on their own professional experience at a national document supply center. Findings - Korean libraries have five options for pursuing copyright clearance for materials published outside of Korea: negotiate an agreement directly with publishers; establish an agreement with, and pay royalties to, copyright collectives; establish bilateral treaties with national copyright collectives; establish a framework agreement with the organizations representing copyright holders; and incorporate extended collective licensing into the Korean copyright law. Originality/value - The Korean copyright law was amended in 2011 and this paper presents the most current research on the law's impact on electronic document delivery services in Korea.