Format Shifting - Archiving and Preservation

Archiving and Preservation

Format shifting is central to preservation and archiving, particularly for sound recordings and films. In addition to efforts to preserve works created in deteriorating formats format shifting is also necessary to keep works accessible. As technology develops the technical formats get outdated and the technology necessary for accessing original formats is no longer available. Copyright law may not allow libraries and archives to format shift for preservation and archiving purposes. By the time copyright term in a work ends the original work may have disintegrated or deteriorated to such an extent that the cost of preservation increases.

Read more about this topic:  Format Shifting

Famous quotes containing the word preservation:

    The reason why men enter into society, is the preservation of their property; and the end why they choose and authorize a legislative, is, that there may be laws made, and rules set, as guards and fences to the properties of all the members of the society: to limit the power, and moderate the dominion, of every part and member of the society.
    John Locke (1632–1704)