A German version of our brochure A Digital Knowledge Act for Europe is now available (as a PDF file). In this publication, we provide an overview of the barriers that prevent libraries, archives, universities and other knowledge institutions from carrying out their public interest mission in the digital environment and present solutions. Like the English […]
We have extensively followed the saga around the Italian cultural heritage code, as evidenced by a series of blog posts on lawsuits involving commercial uses of Public Domain works in Italian collections (Galleria dell’Accademia Firenze v. GQ, Gallerie dell’Accademia di Venezia v. Ravensburger, and Uffizi v. Gaultier). In late September, a bottle of vinegar added […]
We’re excited to join the TAROCH Coalition, a global community effort steered by our member Creative Commons to encourage UNESCO to achieve the adoption of a UNESCO standard-setting instrument to improve open access to cultural heritage. The Coalition is led by representatives of a global, diverse community of organisations and institutions involved in cultural heritage […]
On October 2, COMMUNIA hosted an in-person event in Brussels on why Europe needs a Digital Knowledge Act. A video recording of the event is now available (hosted on Vimeo). The event brought together academics, representatives of civil society and EU policymakers to discuss legislative measures that would enable knowledge institutions, such as libraries, archives, […]
Europe is investing heavily in research and innovation, and for good reason. But we have failed to support these interests by clearing the way for the digital transition of libraries, archives, universities and other knowledge institutions that are essential to promoting progress. We need to prioritise reform that focuses on the needs of these institutions. […]
Since the beginning of the year, we have fleshed out proposals for measures that should be included in a Digital Knowledge Act — a targeted legislative intervention that enables libraries, archives, universities and other knowledge institutions to offer the same services online as offline. In a series of six policy papers, we identified the constraints […]
In Italy, the use of images of cultural heritage in the Public Domain is still subject to heated debate. This blog post provides an update on the situation, presenting a recently adopted ministerial decree, which facilitates the use of such images in scientific publications. While the decree is a step in the right direction, it […]
On June 18th, we hosted our first online salon in 2024 on the hollowing out of the Public Domain through cultural heritage laws with a particular focus on Italy. In recent years there have been a number of problematic court cases around the commercial reuse of Public Domain works held by Italian cultural heritage institutions. […]
Today, COMMUNIA is releasing Policy Paper #20 on the right to use Public Domain heritage (also available as a PDF file), in which we address the restrictions imposed by a number of Member States on the use of reproductions of Public Domain works. The cultural heritage laws of Bulgaria, France, Greece, Italy, Portugal and Slovenia […]
On Tuesday, June 18th, 15:00-16:00 CEST, we invite you to an online salon on the alarming development of the hollowing of the Public Domain through cultural heritage laws with a focus on Italy. Under the Italian cultural heritage code, many uses of cultural heritage held in Italian collections are contingent on authorisation and the payment […]
