Orphan Works Database

In august 2015 the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage chose Livebase to create and maintain an information system called  “Orphan Works Database” to support and automate the processes defined by the European Directive 2012/28/EU of October 25, 2012 on the Protection of Copyright and other Related Rights.

The system had to grant libraries, educational institutions, and museums, as well as archives, film or sound heritage institutions, and public service broadcasters (hereinafter referred to as Beneficiary Organizations) the authority to use orphan works contained in their collections, and establish that a work or phonogram is considered orphaned if none of the rights holders on such work or phonogram have been identified or located after a “diligent search".

The initial design of the system has been extended several times during its execution to meet new requirements arising from changes in the applicable regulations and the emerging need to integrate external systems.  Since this was a public contract, each extension required a rather lengthy approval process, and due to this reason, as well as its overall size and its complexity, the system became operational in 2017. 

The system has subsequently been extended with an interface to a similar European system and with features for querying the Italian Register of Protected Works (ROP).

The Orphan Works system supports the processes of registration and management of orphan works, and it manages contact information of the interested organizations (Beneficiary Institutions); the results of diligent searches that have led to the conclusion that a work can be considered an orphan work; the use that Beneficiary Institutions make of orphan works; changes related to the above information, particularly regarding the status of the works.