Dzieła osierocone jako wyzwanie dla humanistyki

The article presents the legal concept of orphan works in the context of the Polish Law on Copyright and its social and cultural impact on the effectiveness of scientific research, especially in the field of humanities. The purpose of introducing legislative solutions relating to orphan works is to save the cultural heritage from oblivion, and also to restore the continuity of scientific research. The article also raises the question of the contemporary idea of Open Access, which is considered as another plane for new humanities — as a place of common ground to exchange knowledge without barriers.