Digital Rights Management in Electronic Publishing Environments: Implication for Academic Libraries in Nigeria

Scholastica Ukwoma; Rebecca Chidimma Ojobor; Nkem Ugwu

doi:10.25159/2663-659X/20938

Authors

Scholastica Ukwoma https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7164-8371
Rebecca Chidimma Ojobor University of Nigeria Nsukka
Nkem E Ugwu

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.25159/2663-659X/20938

Keywords:

digital rights management, electronic publishing, institutional repositories, libraries

Abstract

Digital rights management (DRM) involves the protection given to an online document to control what a user can do with the document. The purpose of the study was to analyse the content of institutional repositories (IRs) to identify the extent to which DRM technologies are employed to protect the digitised contents. Four research objectives guided the study. The population of the study consisted of all academic libraries in Nigeria that have IRs that are accessible online. Content analysis was employed to analyse 30 IRs. The findings showed that 13 institutions archived articles, theses, and dissertations while watermarks and digital signatures were the only two DRM technologies employed by a few institutions in the survey area. The implications of this findings are that there is a need to sensitise librarians on the importance of using DRM technologies when uploading their contents to the repository. It is also important to include the use of DRM technology as part of the institutional repository policy.

Author Biographies

Scholastica Ukwoma

Department of Library and Information Science

University of Nigeria, Nsukka

and SIRGS, University of South Africa

Nkem E Ugwu

Nnamdi Azikiwe Library

University of Nigeria, Nsukka

References

Adewopo, Adebambo. 2019. “Intellectual Property Protection for Software: Global Perspective and Lessons for Development and Reform in Nigeria.” South African Intellectual Property Law Journal 7 (1): 1–30.

Agarwal, Namita, Amit Kumar Singh, and Pradeep Kumar Singh. 2019. “Survey of Robust and Imperceptible Watermarking.” Multimedia Tools & Applications 78 (7): 8603–8633. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11042-018-7128-5 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11042-018-7128-5

Ajayi, Olaniwun. 2020. “Electronic Signatures and Nigeria’s Digital Economy: Key Issues.” Accessed 10 July 2023. https://www.olaniwunajayi.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Electronic-Signatures-and-Nigerias-Digital-Economy-Key-Issues.pdf

Alonso, C. 2019. “What Is Digital Publishing?” SODP, 26 June. https://www.stateofdigitalpublishing.com/digital-publishing/what-is-digital-publishing/

Arnab, Alapan. 2004. “Digital Rights Management—A Current Review.” Accessed 11 September 2025. https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/232195779.pdf

Arop, Joseph Busa. 2024. “The Regulation of Digital Assets in Nigeria,” SSRN Electronic Journal, 17 July. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4655847 DOI: https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4655847

Bhuiyan, Abu. 2014. “Intellectual Property Rights on the Internet: The Global South’s Struggle for a Lenient Regime.” In Internet Governance and the Global South: Demand for a New framework, 113–135. London: Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137344342_7 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137344342_7

Braid, Andrew. 2005. “The Use of Digital Rights Management in Document Supply.” Paper presented at the World Library and Information Congress”: 71th IFLA General Conference and Council “Libraries – A Voyage of Discovery.” August 14th to 18th, Oslo, Norway. https://origin-archive.ifla.org/IV/ifla71/papers/096e-Braid.pdf

Britannica Editors. 2019. “Digital Rights Management (DRM) Definition & Examples.” Britannica. Most recently updated by E. Gregersen. https://www.britannica.com/topic/digital-rights-management

“Directory of Open Access Repository.” 2023. Accessed 20 August 2023. https://v2.sherpa.ac.uk/view/repositorybycountry/Nigeria.html

Foulonneau, Muriel, and Jenn Riley. 2014. Metadata for Digital Resources: Implementation, Systems Design and Interoperability. Oxford: Chandos Publishing.

Han, Lu, and Mohong Liu. 2024. “Digital Rights Management (DRM) Technologies and Legal Research: Applications and Regulations of Encryption, Digital Watermarking, and Copyright Protection Systems.” Applied & Computational Engineering 82 (1): 106–111. https://doi.org/10.54254/2755-2721/82/20240957 DOI: https://doi.org/10.54254/2755-2721/82/20240957

Harinarayana, N. S., C. S. Somu, and M. V. Sunil. 2009. “Digital Rights Management in Digital Libraries: An Introduction to Technology, Effects and the Available Open-Source Tool.” In Conference Proceedings of the 7th International CALIBER-2009,Puducherry: Pondicherry University, February 25–27, 2009, 455–462.https://caliber.inflibnet.ac.in/caliber2009/CaliberPDF/57.pdf.

Harman, Mike. 2024. “Secure Your eBooks: Advanced Digital Rights Management Solutions.” Kitaboo, 28 March. https://kitaboo.com/ebook-digital-rights-management/

Hashemi-Pour, C., Alexander S. Gillis, and Ben Lutkevich. 2024. “Digital Signature.” Informa, 28 March. https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/definition/digital-signature

Ikoro, Francisca Mgbechikwere, and Nkwachi Divinefavour Diugo. 2021. “Impact of Electronic Publishing in Higher Education Library Services in Nigeria.” Journal of Electrical & Electronics Engineering 9 (1): 1–6. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jeee.20210901.11 DOI: https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jeee.20210901.11

Kakai, Miriam, Maria G. N. Musoke, and Constant Okello-Obura. 2018. “Open Access Institutional Repositories in Universities in East Africa.” Information & Learning Science 119 (11): 667–681. https://doi.org/10.1108/ILS-07-2018-0066 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/ILS-07-2018-0066

Keele Benjamin J., and D. Odell. 2016. “Managing Digital Rights in Open Access Works.” In Digital Rights Management: The Librarian’s Guide, edited by Catherine A. Lemmer and Carla P. Wale, 103–117. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.

Lawal, Kareem. 2025. “Evaluating the Effectiveness of Nigeria’s Data Protection Laws in the Digital.” ResearchGate, January 2025. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/390890917

Li, Jin, Jingwei Li, Xiaofeng Chen, Chunfu Jia, and Wenjing Lou. 2015. “Identity-Based Encryption with Outsourced Revocation in Cloud Computing.” IEEE Transactions on Computers 64 (2): 425–437. https://doi.org/10.1109/tc.2013.208 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/TC.2013.208

McFall, R., H. Dershem, and D. Davis. 2006. “Experiences Using a Collaborative Electronic Textbook: Bringing the ’Guide on the Side’ Home with You.” ACM SIGCSE Bulletin 38 (1): 339–343. https://doi.org/10.1145/1124706.1121448 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1145/1124706.1121448

Mishra, Vivek Kumar. 2023. “Online Service Delivery.” In Emerging Research Ideology, edited by Wakil Kumar Yadav, Stuti Narula Markan, Nisha Garg, and Akhil Jaitley, 134–160. India: CIRS Publication.

Nicholson, Denise. 2009. “Digital Rights Management and Access to Information: A Developing Country’s Perspective.” LIBRES: Library & Information Science Research Electronic Journal 19 (1): 11.https://doi.org/10.32655/LIBRES.2009.1.2 DOI: https://doi.org/10.32655/LIBRES.2009.1.2

Nwogu, Mary Imelda Obianuju. 2015. “Copyright Law and the Menace of Piracy in Nigeria.” Journal of Law, Policy & Globalization 34: 113–129.

Obot, Ima Obong N., Amogu Uma Kalu, and Daniel T.O. Kolawole. 2025. “Leveraging Innovative Technologies for Enhanced Access to Digital Resources in Public University Libraries in Abia and Akwa Ibom States, Nigeria.” Nigerian Libraries 59 (1): 157–169. https://doi.org/10.61955/EUHRIF DOI: https://doi.org/10.61955/EUHRIF

Pal, Ashish K. 2014. “Application of Digital Rights Management in Library.” DESIDOC Journal of Library & Information Technology 34 (1): 11–15.https://doi.org/10.14429/djlit.34.1.5940 DOI: https://doi.org/10.14429/djlit.34.5490

Panda, S. 2021. “Digital Rights Management (DRM) in the Libraries of Digital-Era: Concepts, IPR Issues & Concerns of LIS Community.” Library Philosophy & Practice (e-journal) 6645. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/libphilprac/6645 DOI: https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3997783

Roncevic, Mirela. 2020. “Digital Rights Management and Books.” Library Technology Reports 56 (1). https://doi.org/10.5860/ltr.56n1 DOI: https://doi.org/10.5860/ltr.56n1

Selemani, Apatsa, Austine Phiri, and Winner Chawinga. 2016. “Awareness of Digital Rights Management in Academic Libraries: A Survey of Three Selected Malawian University/College Libraries.” Accessed 14 August 2023. https://www.scecsal.org/publications/papers2016/023_selemani_2016.pdf

Sirhan, Afaf A., Khalid M. Abdrabbo, Serhan Ahmed Ali Al Tawalbeh, Mustafa Hamdi Ahmed, and Mohammad Ali Helalat. 2019. “Digital Rights Management (DRM) in Libraries of Public Universities in Jordan.” Library Management 40 (8/9): 496–502. https://doi.org/10.1108/LM-05-2018-0044 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/LM-05-2018-0044

Soppari, Kavitha, and N. Subhash Chandra. 2019. “Study of Digital Watermarking Algorithms for Digital Rights Management and Their Attacks.” International Journal of Computer Trends & Technology 67 (1): 16–24. https://doi.org/10.14445/22312803/IJCTT-V67I1P104 DOI: https://doi.org/10.14445/22312803/IJCTT-V67I1P104

Subramanya, S. R., and Byung K. Yi. 2006. “Digital Rights Management.” IEEE Potentials 25 (2): 31–34. https://doi.org/10.1109/MP.2006.1649008 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/MP.2006.1649008

Sukul, Adisak. 2013. “Mobile Digital Rights Management for DSPACE Open-Source Institutional Repository.” In Proceedings of the World Congress on Engineering and Computer Science 2013 Vol I, 23–25 October, 2013, San Francisco, USA. https://www.iaeng.org/publication/WCECS2013/WCECS2013_pp216-221.pdf

Uddin, Mohammad Salah, and Afroza Yesmin Akhi. 2014. “E-Wallet System for Bangladesh an Electronic Payment System.” International Journal of Modeling & Optimization 4 (3): 216–219. https://doi.org/10.7763/ijmo.2014.v4.376 DOI: https://doi.org/10.7763/IJMO.2014.V4.376

Uduak, Enang, and Daniel Toriste O. Kolawole. 2024. “Evolution of Publishing Technologies in Libraries.” ResearchGate, August 2024. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/383117745_EVOLUTION_OF_PUBLISHING_TECHNOLOGIES_IN_LIBRARIES

Van der Werf-Davelaar, Titia. 2006. “Facilitating Scholarly Communication in African Studies.” D-Lib Magazine 12 (2). https://doi.org/10.1045/february2006-vanderwerf DOI: https://doi.org/10.1045/february2006-vanderwerf

Velmurugan, C., and N. Radhakrishnan. 2015. “Electronic Publishing: A Powerful Tool for Academic Institutions in the Electronic Environment.” International Journal of Library Science & Information Management 1 (1). ResearchGate, October 2015.https://www.researchgate.net/publication/283433308_Electronic_Publishing_A_Powerful_Tool_for_Academic_Institutions_in_the_Electronic_Environment

Walters, William H. 2014. “E-books in Academic Libraries: Challenges for Sharing and Use.” Journal of Librarianship & Information Science 46 (2): 85–95. https://doi.org/10.1177/0961000612470279 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0961000612470279

Xu, Hao. 2022. “Open Access Publishing and University Researchers’ Agency towards Reshaping the Publishing Habitus.” Education As Change 26 (1): 1–19. https://doi.org/10.25159/1947-9417/11390 DOI: https://doi.org/10.25159/1947-9417/11390

Yakubu, F., and L. Umar. 2018. “Enhancing Scholarly Communication through Institutional Digital Repository Technology.” ResearchGate, April 2018. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/324542725