LEGAL ASPECTS OF MAKING MUSEUM COLLECTIONS AVAILABLE ON THE INTERNET

Journal Title: Muzealnictwo - Year 2014, Vol 55, Issue

Abstract

This article presents the set of legal regulations concerning the digitization process and constitutes an attempt to interpret them. Legal aspects are one of the biggest problems museums face when digitizing their collections and sharing them in digital form via Internet. As the existing regulations are ambiguous, legal status of the parts of museum collections is unclear and there are problems with deciding whether a certain piece of art is a carrier of a work according to Polish Copyright Law, museums are often unsure if they are entitled to exploit the works owned. As a result, even entire valuable collections are mostly excluded from the digitization process. There are problems with classifying public domains and specifying cases, where the so-called permissible use may be applied. Furthermore, it is argued whether digitization process leads to establishment of copyright and whether, and to what extend, the permissible use might be extended in light of Museum Acts. In consequence, society has a limited access to cultural heritage that should be granted by museums according to their statutes. It is necessary to constantly promote initiatives of making museum collections available on the Internet, which is an example of saving cultural heritage for the next generations (through its conservation and keeping it in digital form), and increasing the awareness and eliminating aversion and fears in this area.

Authors and Affiliations

Dominika Urban

Keywords

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  • EP ID EP61864
  • DOI -
  • Views 83
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How To Cite

Dominika Urban (2014). LEGAL ASPECTS OF MAKING MUSEUM COLLECTIONS AVAILABLE ON THE INTERNET. Muzealnictwo, 55(), 75-84. https://europub.co.uk./articles/-A-61864