Informal EU deal on orphan works

An informal agreement between the European Parliament and Council means that orphan works could be made available across the EU.

The proposed new rules would protect institutions that use orphan works from any future copyright infringement claims, provided a diligent search has been undertaken to identify and locate the copyright holder.  The proposed legislation also means that if a work is considered an orphan in any one EU member state then that status applies throughout the EU.  Institutions will also be able to generate revenue from the use of orphan works, which will be contribute to the costs of digitisation.

More on this story from the European Parliament website.