The UK has launched a new licensing program for orphan works that will cover around 91 million works.
Here's an excerpt from the announcement:
A new licensing scheme launched today (29 October 2014) could give wider access to at least 91 million culturally valuable creative works-including diaries, photographs, oral history recordings and documentary films.
These works are covered by copyright, but rights holders cannot be found by those who need to seek permission to reproduce them. Under the new scheme, a licence can be granted by the Intellectual Property Office so that these works can be reproduced on websites, in books and on TV without breaking the law, while protecting the rights of owners so they can be remunerated if they come forward.
Digital Scholarship | "A Quarter-Century as an Open Access Publisher"
