Many materials in cultural heritage institutions are protected by copyright, which creates a barrier to use them in line with the institution's public interest mission. After a certain number of years, copyright protection expires, making it possible for cultural heritage institutions and society at large to finally use these materials without facing copyright barriers.

As a result, being able to determine the copyright expiration date, also known as the entry into the public domain, presents many advantages.
Because public domain calculations are not simple, there are various solutions, available to all cultural heritage professionals, that support this task. During these copyright office hours, Bart Magnus (Meemoo) will introduce Meemoo's public domain tool, Maarten Zeinstra will showcase the Public Domain Calculator, and Bartolomeo Meletti will raise awareness about a vaulable capacity building ressource.

Copyright office hours are informal online sessions that seek to bring cultural heritage professionals together in discussing and addressing common challenges.
To the extent possible, we encourage you to share your thoughts, examples and questions in advance through the registration form.