Recent events confirm the relevance of this viewpoint, and constitute a significant moment to take a new look on one of its applications. The legal status of the images of public cultural property has been chosen because it is a topic at the convergence of many rights, be they from private or public law under the myriad of branches (cultural law, public and private property law, fundamental freedoms, laws on liability and intellectual property, etc.). Even the legal theory can be presumed to apply even if only through the doubts raised on the the changes in certain legal concepts, such as the concepts of private property and communal property.

The general issue presents three guiding lines:

• The first aims to study the status of the image of public cultural property.
• The second calls for a reflection on the safeguards used when those images are used for commercial purposes by third parties.
• The third focuses on how the image is valued by public persons.