Publication Series “Access Points”

“Access Points” – Publications of the Centre for Advanced Study “Access to Cultural Goods in Digital Change”
© Foto: Eberhard Ortland

Digital transformation is fundamentally changing the possibilities and forms of access to cultural goods of all kinds. This raises far-reaching questions about the ethical, legal, economic and political conditions of enabling or restricting access to cultural goods, about the aesthetic implications of different access regimes, the normative basis for curatorial work, and about equitable solutions to access conflicts.

The open access publication series Access Points presents research findings, discussion papers and guidelines of the interdisciplinary Centre for Advanced Study “Access to Cultural Goods in Digital Change” at the University of Münster.

All publications Access Points series have passed a multi-tiered reviewing process to secure highest scholarly standards. They are made available permanently as diamond open access publications with no access restrictions and free of charge for readers and authors alike, with the support of the University and State Library of Münster.

AP#3 | Abbildungen in der Kunstwissenschaft

Abbildungen in der Kunstwissenschaft

Eine kleine Rechtsfibel

Paul Klimpel

Uncertainties about image rights and licenses often impede or obstruct art historical publication projects. This primer on the use of illustrations in art history explains how most images can be reproduced in scholarly publications without costly licenses. Based on German copyright law and other relevant areas of law, the concise textbook explains exclusive rights and their limitations and exceptions, the public domain status of most classical works and their reproductions, as well as the right to quote, which is crucial in an academic context.

AP#8 | Nutzen und erfreuen

Nutzen und erfreuen

Vereinfachte Gegenwartsliteratur im Spannungsfeld zwischen kultureller Teilhabe und Urheberschutz

Thomas Kater

Contemporary German literature often remains largely inaccessible to many people with reading difficulties. This accessibility gap is due to an unresolved tension between the human right to cultural participation, a fundamental right even of people with reading difficulties, and exclusive rights of authors and publishers. A solution would require authors and publishers to generously grant the licenses for simplified versions. This would not only allow people with reading difficulties a significant improvement of their chances to cultural participation, but could also benefit authors.