What do we do?

• We continually and consistently promote accessing culture  from legal sources –  in cinemas, on the radio, on TV, on the Internet, or in the public space
• For years we've been running the biggest and continually updated internet portal that makes the  use of culture from legal sources easier: www.legalnakultura.pl
• We create an ever-growing Database of Legal Sources, which is available on our website: www.legalnakultura.pl/pl/legalne-zrodla
  
• We educate – in schools and at universities all over Poland and as a part of the "Education Zone" on our website: www.legalnakultura.pl/pl/strefa-edukacji

○     about what legal sources are, where to find them, and how to use them
○     about copyright laws, intellectual property rights and other related fields
○     about film culture
○      in the area of media education
○     about the dangers and safety on the internet
○     we run workshops  – we cooperate with schools, universities, libraries, community centres, Centred for Teacher Develpoments and Local Education Authories
○     we cooperate with lawyers (who offer consultations and interactive legal advice, conference lectures, legal advice at cultural events, and Legal Culture workshops)

• We participate in a multinational process of unifying of the digital market in the EU in cooperation with the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) and World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)

○     we carry out educational projects for  the promotion of legal sources, protection of intellectual property right, and other related fields
○     we participate in the exchange of information and experiences concerning  changes in the EU law, the territoriality principle , license sharing, etc. (conferences, seminars, lectures)
○     we present Legal Culture's educational projects at various international conventions

• We cyclically launch  cultural and educational projects in both public and virtual space: Culture On View, Door Open To Culture, a travelling cinema, etc.
• We create various (one-time and recurring) cultural and academic  events (cinema presentations, conferences, seminars, etc.)
• We participate in the most important cultural events in Poland to promote legal sources of culture and encourage others to consciously participate in culture (e.g. Gdynia Film Festival, Off Festival)

○     we are present in the media covering  festivals, film reviews , etc.
○     we broadcast live from meetings with artists
○     we present short ads entitled "In the Darkness of a Cinema"

• We have cooperated  with many acknowledged artists for years, but we also promote the accomplishments of artists from the younger generation.
• We constantly cooperate with specialists and experts from many different fields – lawyers, teachers, scientists, journalists, etc.
• We collaborate with numerous cultural institutions, local governments, educational institutions, etc. (e.g. MKiDN – Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, PISF – Polish Institute of Cinema Arts, NInA – National Audiovisual Institute, NCK – National Centre for Culture)
• We organize competitions with appealing prizes for culture recipients and aspiring artists, often enabling the winners to pursue their artistic ideas
• We conduct numerous research projects

○     both concerning culture users' shifts in attitude and behaviour in terms of  using legal sources of culture and  analyzing new cultural phenomena (e.g. the study on the creators of User-Generated Content)
○     as a part of our activity we also evaluate Legal Culture's projects, as to constantly enhance our offer and adjust it to the culture users' changing needs
○     we conduct research for institutions, we cooperate with
○   we publish our research reports at www.legalnakultura.pl/pl/czytelnia-kulturalna/badania-i-raporty

• We publish a variety of promotional materials on legal sources and tackling the issues of the  reception of culture in a digital reality

○     electronic publications
○     printed publications
○     press and science magazines publications

• We are developing a universal, multifaceted search engine that maximizes the usability of legal sources available on the Internet

• We operate through interaction

○     we are constantly in touch with the users of culture
○     we answer their questions
○     we solve their problems
○     we prepare special offers for specific user groups
○     we provide content
○     internet users can co-create legal culture, promote it, and share it (e.g. by adding links to the legal sources database)

• We direct our projects towards a large variety of users

○     we pay attention to groups that are often left out of the mainstream culture flow
○     we put emphasis on one-time and recurring events prepared with small towns' residents with limited  access to culture in mind, but we also cater to seniors, children, students, teachers, tutors, librarians, office workers, architects, photographers, and other occupational groups 

• We give our best to be  an active and responsible contributor to the public debate on legal culture sources. We try to influence views, attitudes, and behaviour of both creators and recipients  of culture. We're not afraid to confront our opponents

• All our actions are positive in their character, we:

○     promote
○     share
○     explain
○     teach
○     remind of basic values
○     set an example
○     connect

Why do we do it?

We live in a civilization of diversity, which means enormous freedom, but also responsibility and vigilance in regard to various enticements and dangers. Our intention is not to lose basic values in this diversity, values that are fundamental to culture, such as being fair with others, having the ability to choose, and having the right  for our input towards culture development to be respected. The aim of Legal Culture is to help us remember these seemingly simple things every day; to promote conscious participation in culture, fair and loyal actions, and grateful attitudes towards artists. Our mission is based on a positive message – we show how to use everything that modern technology can offer and, at the same time, remain ethical and aware that we live among other people  – on the Internet as well.

Nowadays we are building a digital civilization, just like for centuries we've been building a material one. Once again we have to establish rules on which it relies – the rules that will enable us  to satisfy our needs without violating the rights of virtual community's members or hurting their feelings.

We want to make the recipients of culture aware of the  connection between two kinds of culture – between the digital and the material one. The Internet is not  a completely  isolated  world – many laws and unwritten rules that apply when we deal with pieces of material art remain in force  when we enter the online realm of art.

We strive towards solving one of modern culture's biggest problems – how to make use of it and at the same time hold onto your freedom and not constrict anyone else's? It is high time to undertake determined, extensive actions. Current generations are brought up on the Internet, they grow up in the digital culture. That's why we need a long-term  strategy and a holistic education to ensure that even the youngest citizens are taught the sense of responsibility for our common good, which is culture on the Internet.

Legal Culture Foundation sets itself varied and ambitious goals:

• Promoting legal culture sources
• Creating a database of legal sources at www.legalnakultura.pl/pl/legalne-zrodla
• Educating about copyright laws and protection of intellectual property rights, including ethics as a source of these laws and all  choices
• Enabling culture users to find answers to their questions regarding copyright laws, protection of intellectual property rights, and protection of image – in theory and in practice
• Media education, including projects catered to the younger generation, teachers, and seniors
• Propagating  the protection of intellectual property and demanding to start   legal proceedings against people  who benefit from spreading culture illegally
• Making culture users realize that on the Internet, much like in real world, there are moral and legal rules that apply to artists and their work and that these rules cannot be disregarded due to a misinterpreted anonymity
• Spreading awareness and responsibility among internet users who use digital culture
• Lastingly changing the attitudes and actions of internet users towards culture in digital relaity
• Emphasizing the need for fixed, versatile, and systemic actions in the range of making culture users aware of the importance of using legal sources on the Internet
• Building and consolidating of an environment consisting of different cultural institutions' and creative industries' representatives that will develop and promote conscious participation in culture
• Popularizing the digitalization of public resources
• Popularizing crowdfunding as a modern method of funding cultural undertakings
• Supporting and promoting young artists that have just started their career in the digital culture market
• Directing educational and cultural projects towards representatives of groups that have a limited access to culture (e.g. residents of small cities located far  from any culture centres)
• Popularizing ethical behaviour in business – counteracting the placing  of online ads on the websites offering culture from illegal sources
• Building a universal digital search engine for legal sources of culture
• Making legal culture fashionable

Who do we do it for?

Legal Culture is for everybody.

Our campaign is dedicated to  people who care for culture. We assure them that respecting the artists is the right thing to do. We show them that they are not a lone island. We prove that there are a lot of people that think alike – they follow the rules.

Our campaign is aimed at  people who  do not  care about the culture (yet). We intend to change it . We want to show them that their attitude is a mistake that we all pay for, both the artists and the culture recipients , because their unjust actions impoverish culture. We convince them that it is never too late to give up bad habits. We are increasingly more successful at that.

There are groups that we care the most for, though. That  is why our campaign is aimed at children, students, and their teachers. That is, because culture practices are developed in the process of education, and the representatives of younger generations will be the ones to decide what shape the reception of culture in digital reality will take .

That is  why our campaign is also targeted at people who have limited access to culture. By means of bringing legal Internet sources to their attention and teaching how to use them, we can help them overcome boundaries, both spacial  and symbolic.

That is  why our campaign is targeted at  all generations. We wish for  this issue  to connect people across all boundaries , age boundaries  included.

Everybody is important to us, everybody matters.

With whom do we do it ?

Since day one  we have been accompanied by artists, representatives of cultural institutions, and experts from various different fields. They have supported us for years and every year, every new project in the Legal Culture’s campaign brings new partners, friends and supporters. We cooperate with people and centres that shape culture in our country, as well as with aspiring creators who  are making their first steps on their way to become an artist . Everybody is important, everybody matters. Our numbers are growing .

The strategic partners of Legal Culture’s project are The Ministry of Culture and National Heritage and the Polish Film Institute. We also implement  our projects in cooperation with the National Centre for Culture. Our campaign is supported  by Institutions and Media Patrons that provide substantive, factual, and promotional help. Information about the Partners of the project can be found at our website: www.legalnakultura.pl/pl/legalna-kultura/partnerzy

The idea of Legal Culture is supported by hundreds of artists – www.legalnakultura.pl/pl/sa-z-nami/popieraja-nas

There are currently more than 70 people involved in the campaign, including Magdalena Boczarska, Sonia Bohosiewicz, Agnieszka Grochowska, Janusz Gajos, Tomasz Kot, Małgorzata Kożuchowska, Agata Kulesza, L.U.C. – Łukasz Rostkowski, Lech Majewski, Maja Ostaszewska, Dawid Podsiadło, Robert Więckiewicz, Jerzy Stuhr, and Mariusz Szczygieł.

The ambassadors of Legal Culture are: Anna Dereszowska, Piotr Metz, Dorota Miśkiewicz, Danuta Stenka, Jacek Wasilewski, Zbigniew Wodecki, and Aga Zaryan.

That way we  build up a community of both creators and audiences.

Why are we proud of what we do?

Because we are  changing the awareness of culture among its recipients in Poland. Now more of them  know where and how to reach the sources of culture legally and piracy has become a cultural disgrace  in their view. 

• Because through education and providing examples , we are  actually influencing culture recipients' behaviour. Legal Culture is there  to help people  get into the habit of using legal Internet sources
• Because of creating the Legal Culture portal and running workshops  we contribute to  a safer internet for everybody
• Because we have created one of the most well-known and important portals on legal culture. Our website www.legalnakultura.pl has already been visited by almost 7,000,000 people
• Because we have created the biggest Database of Legal Sources in Poland
• Because we have launched many national cultural and educational projects that spread knowledge about films, media, copyright laws, etc. These projects are usually long-lasting – every year we launch  new editions and every time we improve our offer – Culture On View www.kulturanawidoku.pl and Open Door To Culture www.otwartedrzwidokultury.pl
• Because we support aspiring artists and give to the young people the ability to share their work with culture recipients
• Because we have run hundreds of courses, shows, etc. to make culture recipients  aware of how important the use of legal sources is
• Because our "In the Darkness of a Cinema" ads have reached nearly 18,000,000 culture recipients
• Because we have conducted meaningful scientific research in the most recent cultural fields. Some of our analyses are unique – they are  unique in all of Europe (e.g. studying creators of User-Generated Content)
• Because we are  altering the lifestyles of Polish internet users – we have  introduced the notion that "legal is fashionable"; it is  indicated by the results of our research and by the support which Legal Culture's idea has received
• Because we have  started and co-created public dialogue  on  legal culture – we encourage and invite the most significant institutions and people of culture and media in our country to participate in it
• Because we have  convinced prominent cultural and educational institutions, the media, and representatives of Polish local governments that access to  legal content is important and also to support the idea of Legal Culture by setting  an example to others
• Because we have our input in the process of creation of an international unified digital market and co-creating a friendly law that enables Europeans to use legal culture sources – we are  present in Brussels, Vienna, Geneva, Rome, Alicante, and Istanbul
• Because we promote Polish cultural and educational projects abroad, where we participate in the  intellectual exchange with representatives of other EU countries (conferences, seminars, lectures, presentations, etc.)
• Because we have  created a Legal Culture community of artists and culture recipients connected to and supporting our idea – there are many  of us already and we are  still growing in number, building up a sense of community
• Because we have  created an educational network that spreads  information about media and copyright laws, as a participant of which we constantly cooperate with numerous schools, universities, libraries, and other educational institutions (courses, class patterns, legal advice)
• Because we have  built a creative, dynamic, and fully engaged Legal Culture team. We have  also gathered a circle of longstanding co-workers and experts who promote and share culture goods from legal sources (lawyers, teachers, librarians, members of local governments, scientists, journalists, volunteers, etc.)
• Because we've created a quality brand. Legal Culture brand

Translated by:
Biuro Tłumaczeń Diuna www.diuna.biz