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Deutsch: Das Public-Domain-Manifest

A new public manifest called the Public Domain Manifesto was launched on 25 January 2010, as a document developed within COMMUNIA, the European Thematic Network on the Digital Public Domain, during the last two years.

According to the network, The Public Domain ensures that the principles of Article 27 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights ("Everyone has the right freely to participate in the cultural life of the community, to enjoy the arts and to share in scientific advancement and its benefits") can be fully enjoyed by everyone across the world.

The document outlines a series of general principles (opening with: the Public Domain is the rule, copyright protection is the exception) along with various issues relevant to today's Public Domain, and provides some recommendations aimed at protecting the Public Domain and ensuring that it can continue to function in a meaningful way - with particular relevance to education, cultural heritage and scientific research.

The Manifesto also includes a number of issues relevant to the Public Domain that must be addressed immediately. The recommendations refer to reducing the copyright term, taking into account the effects on public domain when changing the scope of copyright protection and suggest to legally punish any false or misleading attempt to misappropriate Public Domain material.

The authors of the Manifesto hope that the new document can be embraced by the civil society at large as a tool to maintain and promote this precious common good for citizens across the world and for future generations to come.

The document already includes a list of individuals and organizations that have signed the Manifesto, but the list is also open to anyone for new endorsements.

The Public Domain Manifesto
http://www.publicdomainmanifesto.org/node/8

Press release: The Public Domain Manifesto launches today (25.01.2010)
http://communia-project.eu/sites/cms.communia-project.eu/files/PDmanif...

Translations of the Manifesto
http://www.publicdomainmanifesto.org/node/9