Intellectual property management in museums in Poland

A Critical Heritage Studies Hub UJ project, conducted in cooperation with Centrum Cyfrowe and the National Institute of Museums. Our aim was to gather examples of good practices and ideas for recommendations to help museums approach this strategic topic in a uniform and cohesive manner. The report will be published in May/June 2025.

Museums, in their efforts to fulfill social responsibility in the digital age, must face new challenges related to copyright law. This new approach is necessary to promote the democratization of knowledge and fair access to cultural heritage using contemporary channels, tools, and formats. Intellectual property rights are a valuable asset for museums, but not because of the possibility of trading these rights, their commercialization, and thus generating profit. Their value stems from the ability to effectively and efficiently carry out the institution’s mission.

Managing intellectual property rights involves the conscious and planned creation, acquisition, and development of rights to intangible assets in order to fulfill the institution’s mission. For museums to perform the diverse functions expected of them by society, and to protect their collections while ensuring access to them, they must overcome a significant obstacle that are the intricacies of intellectual property law. The COVID-19 pandemic clearly showed that copyright relating to collections, in particular, is an invaluable resource in the hands of institutions, playing a key role in protecting cultural heritage and in promoting and reusing artistic and scientific creativity.

In the context of the dynamically changing museum ecosystem and legal environment, as well as the growing importance of collection digitization, issues related to copyright, privacy protection, and online resource sharing are becoming increasingly important. Polish museums must not only meet the requirements of national regulations but also adapt their activities to EU law, which often forms the basis of Polish legal provisions.

In fall 2024, we held workshops in Krakow and Warsaw, providing a space for exchanging knowledge, needs, ideas, and experiences. Ten institutions accepted the invitation to participate in this undertaking, and we extend our thanks to:

• Małopolski Instytut Kultury in Krakow,
• Museum of the History of Photography in Krakow,
• Polish History Museum in Warsaw,
• National Museum in Gdansk,
• National Museum in Lublin,
• National Museum in Szczecin,
• National Museum in Warsaw,
• National Museum in Wroclaw,
• Museum of Art in Łódź,
• State Ethnographic Museum in Warsaw.

Project Organizers:

Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Critical Heritage Studies Hub

Partners:

National Institute of Museums, Centrum Cyfrowe

Coordination:

Anna Pluszyńska PhD, Jagiellonian University

The final publication was financed by the Priority Research Area Heritage within the Strategic Program Excellence Initiative at Jagiellonian University.