I am considering automating an upgrade of a large number of images that I previously uploaded from the Imperial War Museum's (IWM) website.[1] My original uploads were carefully selected to be public domain by having expired Crown copyright (over 50 years old) and since uploading a small number have been deleted on other grounds, most notably those taken or created by members of the German military and where the photographs were seized during the war and claimed by the UK Ministry of Information.
Here's the rub - by doing this, the IWM may argue that I am bending database rights by systematically accessing their website for downloads. At the current time, the IWM make no statement with regard to this aspect of copyright, see [2].
I am thinking of writing to the IWM's IP Manager (again) before starting this upload/upgrade project, so that I can produce good faith correspondence to protect myself if this is challenged in the future. Any thoughts from fellow Commoners?
PS though I am pondering raising this on the Village Pump, I am hesitant to do this yet, based on past experience I suspect someone would prime the IWM as soon as I do so.
Links: 1. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User_talk:F%C3%A6#Higher_resolution_IWM_i... 2. http://www.iwm.org.uk/corporate/privacy-copyright
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