Challenges of the metadata infrastructure for digital works and the role of cultural policy

Abstract

While digitalization has opened up new opportunities for disseminating creative contents, issues related to the management of metadata (data to identify works and authors) impact the capacity of creators to obtain fair copyright-based remuneration. The reasons for incomplete or incorrect metadata are the lack of properly assigned metadata, of interoperability, and of authoritative sources. This creates difficulties in the distribution of revenue to creators, editors and other rightholders, missed licensing opportunities and recognition for authors, as well as increased risks of unauthorized use. As problems of metadata directly impact digital creation, digital distribution and access to creative works, cultural policy has a role to play in their resolution. Any long-term and efficient solution will require the support of the artistic community. For these reasons, the issuesrelated to metadata and the data infrastructure around creative works should also be discussed in the context of cultural policy.
 Keywords: metadata, copyright, digitalization, remuneration, artistic work