RE: Certifying access

["M Ros Doig" <M.R.Doig@derby.ac.uk>]

Hi Peter !

Nice to hear from you again. It won't surprise you that it's the same 
vendor!!!!

A clause that got struck out last year has re-appeared this year. I'm not
too worried - I just wondered what it meant in plain English. These
vendors are really over the top considering that the content could hardly
be said to be sensitive material! They seem to say the same thing in
different ways.

ie doesn't 'implementing an effective authentication system' mean the same
therefore as 'certifying access' not to mention 'monitoring and exercising
control over' all of which phrases appear in the same sentence.

Since the technological set-up for this database is extremely limiting -
it's routed through our cdrom intranet via a single IP address which
requires two sets of username and passwords to access from 'cold', the
chances of any unauthorised folk getting at it ( supposing they wanted to
in the first place - it's quite specialised!) is really quite remote. It
would probably need a member of staff to pass on the necessary
information!

At base I think the vendors haven't the resources to implement any kind of
security at their end and feel very 'precious' about the idea of
unauthorised use to the extent that they throw the whole thing back at
those wishing to subscribe.

We'll probably sign as it is - I just can't bear to go through the whole
thing again.  And since they're in Canada, they've got to go to a lot of
trouble and expense (which they patently can't afford) if they want to
come and find us in breach of contract!!!

Very Best Wishes
Ros

>>> ppicerno@utmem.edu 05/03/01 09:38pm >>>
Hi Ros --

I remember you from some time ago ... when you were having another access
problem. I would be tempted to simply cross out that offending passage in
the contract and send it back (without making payment, of course) and see
what sort of response you get .... if you have a campus purchasing agent,
talk it over with them as well. But the response you got from the vendor
is certainly, in my opinion, unsatisfactory!

Dr. Peter V. Picerno
University of Tennessee Health Sciences Library
877 Madison Avenue
Memphis  TN 38162
(901) 448-5634
(901) 448-7235 - Fax

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-liblicense-l@lists.yale.edu 
Sent: Wednesday, May 02, 2001 5:21 PM
To: liblicense-l@lists.yale.edu 
Subject: Certifying access

Dear All

I have a license here which says:

"The subscriber shall .....monitor and exercise control over (no problems
with that) and certify access to XXX database."

What do any of you take to mean by ' certify access to'?

When queried with the supplier I got this rather cryptic answer:

"As for the word "certify", by signing the agreement you are certifying
access to the XXX databases."

I'm sadly none the wiser - can anyone out there enlighten me? Thanks for
your help

Best wishes to everyone on liblicense-l


Ros Doig
Serials & Inter-lending Librarian
University of Derby
Learning Centre
Kedleston Road
Derby
DE22 1GB