Italian PNRR digital heritage plan faces copyright hurdles

Italy's National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), funded by the EU's Next Generation EU program, allocates significant investments to digitize cultural heritage. The plan aims to enhance accessibility and foster new digital services in the cultural and creative sector. However, legal complexities arise from the interplay between copyright law and cultural heritage regulations. The Italian government's proposed implementation of EU Directive 2019/790, specifically Article 14 on public domain visual artworks, includes a clause preserving the Cultural Heritage and Landscape Code (D.Lgs. n. 42/2004). This means that while non-original copies of public domain works can be freely shared and reused, reproductions of cultural assets remain subject to the Code's restrictions. Critics, including Wikimedia Italia and Creative Commons Italy, argue this undermines the PNRR's digital goals. They note that revenue from image licensing is minimal and often fails to cover management costs, and that Italy lacks an effective enforcement system for image control abroad. The decree received a favorable opinion from parliamentary committees on October 20, 2021, but the controversy highlights tensions between digital innovation and heritage protection.