French court denies FOI access to Rodin Museum 3D scans, setback for public-domain cultural heritage advocates

Cosmo Wenman says France’s top administrative court ruled against his eight-year effort to obtain 3D scans of Auguste Rodin sculptures from the Rodin Museum. The case began after the museum refused to identify or release scans despite a favorable opinion from France’s access-to-documents authority and support from open-culture groups.

The decision highlights how museums can use legal complexity to maintain control over digitized versions of public-domain works. It may chill open-access efforts across cultural heritage institutions, especially as 3D digitization becomes more commercially and educationally valuable.