ABSTRACT
The ease with which “faithful” copies of visual resources can be made in a digital environment, the potential of electronic distribution of images to reach vast new audiences, and the difficulty of ensuring generation to generation integrity of digital copies has compelled owners of image rights throughout the world to take a second look at their methods of control over reproductions and has spawned a debate over multimedia copyrights. Archives and museums which own huge collections of images have, until very recently, tried to remain aloof from the rough and tumble policy debates raging in this arena, but they now are being confronted with major decisions about their institutional identities and economic future. We contend that both the appropriate cultural role and the financial best interests of cultural heritage institutions will be advanced by collective protection and promotion of their intellectual properties, and by mechanisms that encourage the growth of a market in high quality reproductions.
