Every year on January 1st, copyright expires on thousands of works that subsequently enter the Public Domain. In Belgium, copyright protection lasts 70 years after the death of the author and consequently in 2018, the works of authors who died in 1947 will be released.

This year we welcome the creations of amongst others Victor Horta, Anna Kernkamp, Felix Timmermans, Gustave Van de Woestyne, Ernst Lubitsch, William Moulton Marston.

While copyright is a tool for protecting the creation and distribution of artistic work of living artists, the Public Domain is essential because it guarantees free access to works after their death. In the context of a digital culture that drives collective practices and encourages reuse, the importance of the Public Domain is only increasing.

This year Public Domain Day fills the hole month of May with many different activities - edit-a-tons, exhibitions, round tables, screenings, performances - thanks to the effort of our partners: The Royal Library of Belgium (KBR), Mundaneum, MuseomixBE, Cinema Nova, PACKED, Plus tôt Te laat (Pttl), RoSa, Wikimedia BE.

The full programme is available to download, but here are some anticipations:

Saturday 5 May 10:00 - 17:00
Paul Otlet & Henri La Fontaine
Edit-a-ton - Mundaneum, Mons / Bergen
Reservations: info@mundaneum.be

Saturday 19 May 10:00 - 16:00
Belgian authors & artists
Edit-a-ton - KBR, Krantenleeszaal/Salle des Journaux
Reservations: educ@kbr.be

Friday 24 May 20:30 - 22:00
Un faible degré d’originalité by AntoineDefoort
Cinema Nova
Performance / Theatre piece, 6/8€

Saturday 26 May
> 10:00 - 13:00
Victor Horta, Ernst Lubitsch, Ferdinand Zecca, August Blom and Carl Hoffmann
Muntpunt, Zinneke 2, S2
Edit-a-ton - Reservations: sam@packed.be

> 14:00 - 17:30
An afternoon about the potential and practices of the Public Domain
Lectures & panel conversation with: Sam Donvil (Packed vzw), Saskia Scheltjens (Rijksmuseum NL), Sophie Vandepontseele (KBR BE), Olaf Janssen (KB NL), Andrea Wallace (University Exeter)
Moderator: Femke Snelting (Constant)

> 18:30 - 22:30
Festive closing
Cinema Nova