Public Call for Feedback
Introduction
Facsimile works are an important part of our cultural heritage. However, up to now, there has been no binding basis for their professional assessment. There are no clear and universally accepted criteria to determine when a work qualifies as a "facsimile" or merely as a "reproduction."
To close this gap, an initial draft of guidelines for the evaluation of facsimile works has been developed under the direction of the IUPD – Institute for Environmental, Paper and Printing Technologies GmbH. The draft is the result of a collaborative process involving experts from book production, book trade, publishing, and certified court experts.
Public Consultation: Your Opinion Matters
This draft guideline is now available for public review. Interested organizations, publishers, libraries, institutions, and private individuals are invited to examine the draft and submit comments or suggestions for improvement.
Feedback may be submitted until September 15, 2025, by e-mail to:
Following this consultation phase, the draft will be reviewed by an independent panel of experts. The final version of the guideline will be valid for a period of four years.
Objective: Transparency and Technical Assurance
The final guideline will serve as the technical basis for the voluntary certification of facsimile works. Publishers will have the opportunity to request an independent assessment of their works. Consumers, in turn, will gain confidence that the certified work has been clearly and professionally identified as a true facsimile.
About the IUPD – Institute for Environmental, Paper and Printing Technologies GmbH
The IUPD is an independent institution based in Germany. It conducts technical inspections, evaluations, and certifications in the graphic industry.
Under the leadership of Harald Sexl, a court-certified expert in Austria and a recognized expert in Germany, as well as an auditor for management systems and environmental labels, the consultation process is ensured to be conducted with both neutrality and technical expertise.