Now available in Polish: COMMUNIA’s ”A Digital Knowledge Act for Europe”
We are pleased to give you the Polish version of the ”Digital Knowledge Act” publication, which we developed as part the international COMMUNIA association.
Autor: Maria Sibylla Merian
Centrum Cyfrowe is part of COMMUNIA – an international association that advocates for policies that expand the Public Domain and increase access to and reuse of culture and knowledge.
Though Europe is investing heavily in research and innovation (for good reason!), 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.
We need a targeted legislative intervention — a Digital Knowledge Act — that enables knowledge institutions to offer the same services online as offline.
The booklet is structured along four actions to empower knowledge institutions in the digital age:
1. Protect the Public Domain!
Public sector documents, public speeches and raw materials are essential sources of information, but not always freely accessible to the public. They should clearly be excluded from copyright protection. Legal barriers to use images of cultural heritage that are in the Public Domain need to be removed.
2. Unlock research!
Scientists often struggle to access and share research. A right to research and an obligation to openly publish publicly funded outputs would go a long way towards unlocking the potential of European research.
3. Promote digital adaptation!
Refusal to license and unfair licensing terms for digital materials are one of the biggest challenges for libraries and research organisations today. We need an EU‑wide e‑lending right and an obligation to license digital works to knowledge institutions.
4. Shield institutions from legal risk!
Due to the complex and fragmented state of EU copyright law, many individuals and institutions shy away from research collaborations and other public interest activities. An exemption from liability for damages for those who act in good faith would mitigate this chilling effect.
In each section, we explain the deficiencies of the current legal framework and present legislative solutions to address them, linking to our fully developed policy papers.
The idea of a Digital Knowledge Act is ripe for implementation. The incoming legislators must tackle these problems in a comprehensive manner to unlock the full potential of Europe’s knowledge institutions.
Don’t miss the recording of a „Why Europe needs a Digital Knowledge Act” meeting (Brussels, October 2024) → link.
About the COMMUNIA association
The association was founded in 2011 with the goal of advocating for all issues related to public domain in the digital environment. We are especially involved in advocating for copyright that does not limit the public domain and on research activities showing the value of the open. We work very closely with the Dutch Kennisland, Wikimedia Germany, Creative Commons Portugal and the global Creative Commons. Members of the association also include other organisations and individuals – mostly copyright experts. We all share the belief that the public domain is a common good that should be protected. Read more here.