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 information ever recorded. Some of this historic terminology is discriminatory and offensive. Please note the databases include records for objects that are considered secret or sacred by some communities.” The policy concludes by inviting information and corrections via email.

The Royal Museums Greenwich has a policy on ‘Culturally sensitive images’, that is worth quoting at length. It begins by highlighting “[i]mages of the transatlantic slave trade and colonial slavery are historic visualisations of an inhuman system of suffering and exploitation. Many show the casual violence that was endemic in the slave system. Black people, whether free or enslaved, are almost always depicted in a derogatory and racially stereotyped manner, reflecting the widespread European prejudices of the day.” It goes on to warn users of the language and visual treatment around such imagery. In another paragraph, the policy calls attention to “exploration” and the ideas it embodied in relation to “scientific knowledge, individual endurance and state power”. It highlights that “[m]ore recently, discussions about what exploration is, who its heroes are and the roles of Indigenous communities in expeditions have led to much more nuanced understandings of these histories”. The policy concludes with a commitment to “write captions that are accessible, respectful and accurate, consulting with individuals, communities and specialists to address the complex and challenging themes within our collections” and invites feedback by email.

Unlike other policies, the LSE Library notes these issues should also impact reuse. The policy informs users that “[i]n addition to copyright, there may be other rights or considerations that affect the way you are able to re-use our content. For example, some of our content may contain information about individuals who may still be alive or contain culturally or racially insensitive language or imagery.” The Library makes a commitment to flag issues “in the item or collection description” where they are aware of them but informs the user “it is your responsibility to ensure that your use is ethically and legally sound”.

Some policies are specific to human remains. The Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology discloses with respect to its “small collection of human remains, these specimens are currently being recatalogued to conform to the UCL policy on human remains and so have not been published at the present time”. By contrast, Leeds Museum & Galleries notes its “substantial collection of human remains which were once parts of living people” and commits “to caring for them in a respectful manner while also making the collections available for research and engagement where appropriate, in line with our human remains policy”. This Human Remains policy clarifies the Museum “will only use images of human remains in interpretation or in marketing (including the website) after approval by the Human Remains Working Group” and “only if pertinent to the accompanying content”. For the galleries, the Human Remains policy “permits respectful photography of human remains on display” which “is supported by visitor consultation carried out in 2018”. Returning to the main policy, the text highlights research undertaken during the ‘Skeletons: our Buried Bones’ exhibition, which “asked visitors what they thought about having and using human remains, and allowing photography of human remains on display, in order to inform the human remains policy

A Culture of Copyright