Book review: ‘Digital Libraries: Reconciling Copyright Law and Cultural Heritage Policy’, Estelle Derclaye (ed.)

Abstract

Copyright law and cultural heritage policy are an odd couple. Although they have the same aims – or, more accurately, should have the same aims – they are often in conflict. Cultural heritage policy aims to preserve and make accessible works that are deemed to be part of our shared culture – books, articles, pictures, paintings, photographs, music, recordings, films, statues, architecture, and the like. However, copyright grants an exclusive right to the rightsholder to reproduce or disseminate such works. Therefore, to achieve cultural heritage policy goals in respect of recent copyrighted material often requires the consent of the copyright owner.