On 13 October, 14:00 to 15:00 CEST, join us for a new COMMUNIA Salon exploring the French “Rodin case” and a deceptively simple question at the heart of access to cultural heritage: Should 3D scans of works in the Public Domain be freely available for reuse, including for commercial purposes?

The dispute at hand, the so-called “Rodin Case”, started in 2018, when American artist Cosmo Wenman requested access to 3D scans of several sculptures by Auguste Rodin held by the Musée Rodin. France’s Commission for Access to Administrative Documents (CADA) backed his request, but the museum refused to release the files. In 2023, the Administrative Court of Paris piled on more pressure, ordering the museum to provide access.

However, instead of putting this dispute to bed once and for all, the case then made its way to the Council of State which,  in December 2025, reversed course. Unlike previous instances, it ruled that the collections of cultural heritage institutions do not constitute administrative documents and that the Musée Rodin was therefore not required to provide access to the scans.

During this COMMUNIA Salon, we will unpack the legal twists and turns of the Rodin case and discuss what the decision means for the Public Domain, cultural heritage institutions and the people who want to access and reuse our shared cultural heritage.

We are delighted to welcome Cosmo Wenman (artist), Alexis Fitzjean ó Cobhthaigh (attorney in the Rodin case), Benjamin Jean (INNO3) and Brigitte Vézina (Creative Commons). The discussion will be moderated by COMMUNIA member Camille Françoise.

Register now to join us on 13 October to take a closer look at the Rodin case and what it tells us about the future of the digital Public Domain.

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• #cultural heritage institutions
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• #public domain