Indian Journal of Fundamental and Applied Life Sciences ISSN: 2231– 6345 (Online) An Open Access, Online International Journal Available at www.cibtech.org/sp.ed/jls/2015/02/jls.htm 2015 Vol. 5 (S2), pp. 3097-3102/Papi et al. Research Article © Copyright 2014 | Centre for Info Bio Technology (CIBTech) 3097 LEGAL REQUIREMENTS FOR PROTECTING THESIS COPYRIGHT IN THE IRAN’S NATIONAL DATABASE OF THESES AND DISSERTATIONS Zeinab Papi 1 , *Saeed Rezaei Sharifabadi 2 , Sedigheh Mohammadesmaeil 3 and Nadjla Hariri 3 1 Department of Library and Information Science, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran 2 Department of Library and Information Science, Alzahra University 3 Department of Library and Information Science, Faculty of Human & Social Sciences, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran *Author for Correspondence ABSTRACT This study aims at identifying the requirements for protecting copyright of theses and dissertations in the Iran’s National Database of Theses and Dissertations. This research based on grounded theory (GT) and systematic approach and was conducted at three levels of open coding, axial coding and selective coding in order to achieve the research paradigmatic model. The research population consisted of 23 Iranian experts in copyright, electronic publishing and Knowledge and Information Science. The semi-structured interview was made to reach data saturation. The obtained data from the open coding and formation of main categories were provided in the form of a paradigmatic model by means of axial coding and legal requirements for protecting copyright of theses in the Iran’s National Database of Theses and Dissertations discussed and theorized in the selective coding. The results indicate that the protection of copyright of theses needs specific legal requirements. As theses are under the protection of intellectual property rights, it is necessary to obtain licensed agreement from their owners. Legal requirements that play an important role in support of copyright of theses and dissertations include committing to fair use, determining moral rights, economic rights and the ownership of theses, legal barriers, regulating a contracted mechanism for availability and dissemination, assigning the share of each party, setting a mechanism for users, Iran's membership in international conventions on copyright, protecting of copyright law, setting and updating the legal mechanisms for copyright of theses, especially in cyberspace. Keywords: Legal Requirements, Iran’s National Database of Theses and Dissertations, Theses and Dissertations, Cyberspace, the Ownership of Theses INTRODUCTION As an alive and dynamic organism, cyberspace is changing rapidly. Easy accessibility and interactivity are some of cyberspace features. Resource accessibility and resource sharing in cyberspace are easier than those of physical environment. Nowadays, there is no concern of the lack and not accessing information. Every website or database has lots of information easily accessible by means of information technologies. Easy access satisfies user information needs from one hand and concerns work owners from the other hand. So, cyberspace needs some laws and regulations. There are three principal legal schools for cyberspace. One is radical ideology that believes that cyberspace must be free from any control forced by governmental administration or legal and physical monitoring. The second one recognizes the need to set some separate laws for cyberspace. The third school suggests a combination of rights and technologies to regulate the space (Bakhtiarvand, 2009). The execution of copyright law is of main issues in the institutions that concern Theses and Dissertation Programs (Ubogu, 2006).