Copyright and digital cultural heritage: using cultural sustainability, ethics and human rights law to unpack copyright misappropriation practices

This chapter explores the European Union's policy for digital cultural heritage and digital commons, asking whether the EU's IP framework can be envisaged as a vector for cultural sustainability. Anchored in the UN 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals, the analysis highlights the intersection of culture, creativity, innovation, and IP with broader sustainability objectives. The chapter frames cultural sustainability as a distinct dimension of sustainable development, emphasising its role in evaluating IP systems from ethical, societal, and human rights perspectives.