Audiovisual legacy: a meeting of two worlds
These past few days an Economies of the Commons conference was held, co-sponsored by Sound and Vision en Digital Heritage Netherlands. The conference concentrated on the economics of digitalisation and digital-born production in an internet world where free and easy access has become the norm for the user. The problem was approached from two very different worlds: on the one hand that of internet pirates who see the entire internet as their creative playing field where everything is allowed, and on the other hand the world of archives and museums, which try to secure financing on a national and international level, for instance in the European eContentplus programme. The one problem that bothers both of these worlds is that of traditional International Property Rights which were not invented for the internet and which hamper open access to our digital heritage everywhere.
The question of digital preservation was only touched upon briefly. It seemed that securing financing and battling with international property rights were more pressing problems for the community. Project financing can still be found for digitalisation programmes, but it will take much hard work (by the NCDD among others) to secure the necessary long-term commitment that digital preservation requires. (IA)
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