Abstract

Europe has traditionally been the only continent interested in developing a global view of culture and civilization. Digital cultural heritage in Europe now extends far beyond traditional memory institutions to include archaeological sites, historical cities, cultural landscapes and cultural routes . These interests are leading to new links between local, regional and national culture and new approaches are transforming scholarship. Therefore, there is a need for a Distributed European Electronic Resource . Can Europe define its own approach to intellectual property, which leads to more creativity than the Hollywood method? Can Europe, which now represents just over 5% of the world population, redefine its role to give due recognition to cultural diversity and the contributions of other nations and peoples?