Look before You License: The Use of Public Sharing Websites in Building Co-Created Community Repositories

Abstract

The legal aspects of building a co-created community repository (CCR) are explored through the examination of existing commercial web-based services. To determine whether commercial services offer a practicable option or a model for the creation of a CCR’s terms of service (TOS), we analyzed six websites. The TOS contain the rules under which content can be stored, accessed, shared, etc. This TOS assessment is based on the consideration of four attributes, applied in a legal context: functionality, integrity, provenance, and permanence. While many of the features of a successful CCR are found across the services, none possesses all of the required elements. Recommendations for preferable CCR TOS are offered.