Agenda item

To consider the report of the Director of Culture, Leisure and Tourism.

Agreed:

RECOMMENDED that Council approve:-

(1) the adoption of an ‘Open Access Strategy’ in relation to digital copies of public domain works and other materials which are out-of-copyright (see Appendix 1);

(2) authority being delegated to the Museums Manager (or subsequent equivalent post) and the Portfolio Holder for Culture and City Centre Strategy (or subsequent equivalent post) to determine the digitised public domain works and other out-of copyright materials to be published online in accordance with the Open Access Strategy;

(3) the Museums Manager (or subsequent equivalent post) reporting on the progress of the Open Access Strategy on a quarterly basis to the Director for Culture, Leisure, Tourism and Communications (or subsequent equivalent post) and Portfolio Holder for Culture and City Centre Strategy (or subsequent equivalent post);

(4) allowing the free reuse of digitised public domain collections up to 300 dpi when printed at A5 (‘medium resolution’), as detailed in the fees and charges schedule and retaining the high resolution versions for commercialisation and restricting reuse through contracts; and

(5) the adoption of the fees and charges schedule attached to the report to be reviewed on an annual basis.

Reason for Decision: As set out in the report.

The Executive received the report which concerned access to digital images of objects in the RAMM’s collections. The museum, routinely photographed objects for use on its online collections database, which were not downloadable by the public. It also licenced images to members of the public and commercial entities for personal use or in websites and publications at rates set out in ECC’s fees and charges document.

Some of the RAMM’s collections were protected by copyright while others were in the public domain. The report was seeking approval to adopt an ‘Open Access Strategy’ in relation to digital copies of public domain works and other materials which are out-of-copyright.

Members were advised that there had been some wider legal debate relating to the interpretation of law and guidance relating to copyright involving the digital reproduction of public domain works. In recent years there had also been growing support for releasing images free of copyright.

Particular reference was made to:-

·         Since autumn 2022, work had been undertaken with the University of Exeter Law School on developing an appropriate policy direction for use at the RAMM.

·         A trial release of 60 medium resolution images, into public domain had been undertaken and had been used by ‘Wikimedia Commons’, to populate Wikipedia pages. The images released, had been used on 60 Wikipedia pages and viewed 4.7 million times.

·         Medium resolution works would be available in the public domain for academics and high resolution images would be reserved for commercial activity and remain available for fees and charges.

Councillor M. Mitchell, as an opposition group leader, spoke on this item and enquired on how people would apply and how the RAMM would differentiate between personal and commercial use

Members welcomed the report and the work that had been undertaken with the University of Exeter

The Collections & Content Manager in response to a Members’ question, advised that images used for posters or merchandising would be considered commercial use and that medium resolution images would not be used commercial use.

RECOMMENDED that Council approve:-

(1) the adoption of an ‘Open Access Strategy’ in relation to digital copies of public domain works and other materials which are out-of-copyright (see Appendix 1);

(2) authority being delegated to the Museums Manager (or subsequent equivalent post) and the Portfolio Holder for Culture and City Centre Strategy (or subsequent equivalent post) to determine the digitised public domain works and other out of copyright materials to be published online in accordance with the Open Access Strategy;

(3) the Museums Manager (or subsequent equivalent post) reporting on the progress of the Open Access Strategy on a quarterly basis to the Director for Culture, Leisure, Tourism and Communications (or subsequent equivalent post) and Portfolio Holder for Culture and City Centre Strategy (or subsequent equivalent post);

(4) allowing the free reuse of digitised public domain collections up to 300 dpi when printed at A5 (‘medium resolution’), as detailed in the fees and charges schedule and retaining the high resolution versions for commercialisation and restricting reuse through contracts; and

(5) the adoption of the fees and charges schedule attached to the report to be reviewed on an annual basis.