Copyright concerns and digital technology in museums: Rights, reproductions, intellectual property protection, and fair use

Copyright and museum collection access issues related to digital technologies were the focus of this literature review and document analysis. The review focused on policies regarding reproductions of paintings put into digital form on the World Wide Web. An examination of policies in selected museum rights and reproduction departments was made.; Data collection concentrated on a literature review of current (1998 to present) studies, articles, and books. Works before 1998 were studied to set up historical context. In addition, there was an analysis of rights and reproductions documents. A main area of focus was the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (1998) in relation to museum image storage and access. Policy recommendations were presented about specific issues of legal protection, technology considerations, and fair use.