Executive Summary
II. Major Business Objectives
I. Description & History of the Knowledge Conservancy
During the late 1990's, the Universal Library project at Carnegie Mellon University engaged in a number of proof-of-concept projects for publicly accessible online content. These included the Universal Library Project, the Million Book Project, and the Antique Books Project. The evolution of the online access systems, the legal constructs, and the archival methods to support this publishing project, ultimately gave birth to an extensible model - The Knowledge Conservancy.Public interest in conservation of private property and endangered species for long-term enjoyment has inspired formation of numerous non-profit 'conservancy' organizations. The Knowledge Conservancy is such a non-profit conservancy organization devoted to preserving public access, in this case to intellectual, rather that physical, property. It provides owners of intellectual properties a way to serve the public, yet continue to hold rights to and control value-added uses of their copyright protected content. It provides the public worldwide with a means to ensure free public access - the right to read - for content that remains protected by copyright and ensures long-term preservation of electronic knowledge. The Knowledge Conservancy employs a traditional instrument of public tax policy - the donation of easements and limited use rights - to bridge the divide between public interests in free access to online information and private interests in commercial gain from copyright protected property.
For the past decade, we have witnessed a major clash developing between those who want to use the technology of online information systems to develop new markets for information and those who see the technology as a means to destroy all markets for information. The maneuvering of these forces, in courts and legislatures, may have entertained some, but it is increasingly destructive to the financial and social order. Shifts in public policy engineered by one or the other force can cause huge dis-investments and require new business strategies, only to be subsequently reversed by new treaties, laws or rulings.
The Knowledge Conservancy promotes free-to-read, with assured perpetual public access, built on a foundation of respect for intellectual property rights. This will not bring harmony, but it can satisfy the needs of all but the most radical proponents of free information and unregulated exploitation. Owners of intellectual property may safely donate specific levels of public access during the term of their copyright control. Members of the public may contribute funds to assist The Knowledge Conservancy to acquire public access rights to additional properties. Authors and publishers benefit by making their content better known and accentuating the value-added features of their methods of distribution and access. Potential readers benefit by having at least a minimal ability to access published information, and also to find out how to obtain value-added editions from the publishers. The public at large benefits by the creation of a repository of information preserved for the benefit of posterity and available to all, that will transcend the terms of existing copyrights and existing copyright regimes.