Encouraging the digitization of EU culture
On 28 October 2011, the European Commission adopted a recommendation asking EU Member States to step up their efforts, pool their resources and involve the private sector in digitizing cultural material.
In the recommendation, the Commission strives for an efficient development of Europeana and challenges Member States to develop solid plans and build partnerships to place 30 million objects in Europeana by 2015 compared to the 19 million available today; to get more in-copyright and out-of-commerce material online; and to adapt national legislation and strategies to ensure the long-term preservation of digital materials. The recommendation also sets the key principles for the operation of public-private partnerships, which would ensure a fair and transparent digitalization of the works.
The Recommendation builds on the conclusions of the Comité des Sages (high level reflection group) on bringing Europe’s cultural heritage online, established in 2010.
European Commission has finally published the consultation document on stakeholders’ dialogue regarding the implementation of Article 17 of the Directive (EU) 2019/790 on Copyright and Related Rights on Digital Single Market. The document sums up the stakeholders’ main concerns and sets forth the initial views of the European Commission with the aim to finalise the Commission guidance on Article 17 implementation.
The International Research Centre on Artificial Intelligence (IRCAI) with its seat in Slovenia is holding a virtual Consultation on draft Recommendation on the Ethics of AI from 27 to 29 July 2020. As an expert from Slovenia, dr. Maja Bogataj Jančič will partake in the Consultation as well.
Cultural heritage preservation is crucial not only for maintaining but also for development of society on national, as well as international level. Despite the fact that cultural heritage objects remind us of the past times when today’s technology did not exist yet, technological development can be harnessed for preservation, restoration and research of cultural heritage through its digitisation. With the aim of improving policy instruments for cultural heritage digitisation across Europe, the European Commission launched the Public consultation on digital access to European cultural heritage.
Between 7 and 9 July the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) organised the second session of the Conversation on Intellectual Property and Artificial Intelligence. The first session was held last September. On its basis, WIPO published the Draft Issues Paper on Intellectual Property Policy and Artificial Intelligence on which the interested public then submitted comments. In May, WIPO issued the Revised Issues Paper on Intellectual Property Policy and Artificial Intelligence that has been the basis of the second meeting.