Navigating and understanding copyright is essential for museum work. Copyright is the right to copy or reproduce a legally protected work. Copyright law protects creators' rights while allowing users some rights to copy or reproduce a legally protected work. Copyright applies to all "works" and this means artistic, dramatic, music or literary works as well as film, broadcasts and sound recordings. Check out Copyright at Georgian to find more information.
Copyright affects museums in two ways: One, if the museum is the creator of new content, which can be protected by copyright law or two, if the museum is dealing with or using somebody's else's copyright-protected content. Each of these needs different approaches, knowledge and policies.
The museum as content-creator means that it will manage its content, either licensing it out, making it freely available or, if needed, regulating its use. This can include content like the text in displays or exhibition catalogues since in many cases the copyright in anything created in the course of employment will belong to the employer/museum.
If the museum is using someone else's copyright-protected content, such as a museum photographing a painting in a collection, then just because the museum owns the painting, doesn't mean it owns the copyright; therefore, it will be restricted in the ways it can make copies of that work. When organizing digital projects (putting images up on a website) or exhibitions, a copyright strategy is needed.
To learn more details about copyright and intellectual property for museums and art galleries, please visit the following resources:
From: https://museums.ca/site/reportsandpublications/museonline/winter2021_interview