AEShareNet: Reflections on an innovative venture to move copyright licensing into the digital age

Abstract

AEShareNet is a collaborative system to streamline the licensing of intellectual property so that Australian training materials are developed, shared and adapted efficiently. AEShareNet went live in February 2002: its history is reviewed here to illustrate the many strands in the provision of an online system in the context of the national vocational education and training system and to move practitioners from traditional paper-based systems to the new world of online resource discovery and licensing. This account focuses particularly on information management and technical issues and addresses the need for consultation, user education and innovative organisational structures. The positioning of AEShareNet in relation to global developments in intellectual property management and the future challenges facing it are briefly reviewed.