WIPO has launched a new Preservation Toolkit to guide national legislators in crafting copyright provisions for digital preservation of cultural materials. This toolkit addresses the need for updated legal frameworks, highlighted by recent incidents like the 2021 University of Cape Town fire which caused a permanent loss of African culture and history since the library’s collection had no digital backups. Groups like Electronic Information for Libraries (EIFL) worked together with others to participate in the drafting process for the toolkit, which covers key elements of preservation programs and factors to consider when drafting copyright exceptions. This toolkit, emerging from WIPO’s copyright discussions, represents a significant step in empowering libraries, archives, and museums to safeguard cultural heritage using modern digital technologies. While this toolkit is focused on preservation copying, EIFL notes that WIPO is also beginning to develop a follow-up toolkit on access to preserved materials.
EIFL Announcement of WIPO Preservation Toolkit:
https://www.eifl.net/news/eifl-welcomes-wipo-toolkit-preservation
WIPO Toolkit on Preservation here:
https://www.wipo.int/export/sites/www/copyright/en/docs/toolkit-on-preservation.pdf
