Hi everyone
Check out 'Reproduction Fees' on Wikipedia. Its possible for an out of copyright image to attract a reproduction fee from the library holding it and providing the image. These fees can be very high and even prohibit the publication of limited-run publications since the finances do not add up.
Season's greetings to all
Tony Woolrich Canal Side, Huntworth, Bridgwater, Somerset UK Phone (44) 01278 663020 Email apw@ap-woolrich.co.uk
On Wed, 22 Dec 2004 13:12:33 -0000, apw@ap-woolrich.co.uk apw@ap-woolrich.co.uk wrote:
Check out 'Reproduction Fees' on Wikipedia. Its possible for an out of copyright image to attract a reproduction fee from the library holding it and providing the image. These fees can be very high and even prohibit the publication of limited-run publications since the finances do not add up.
Indeed they can and do. The fact is that the owner of an original image is under no obligation to let you copy that original, and is free to charge fees and make you sign a contract before they give you that original to copy.
However, those fees and contracts are not binding on anyone else under present US law, unless they are themselves placed under contract before being given a copy.
E.g. a book publisher might pay some art gallery a lot of money to copy their old paintings for publication. That does NOT prevent J. Random Wikipedia Editor from buying or lending that book, scanning the individual images of those paintings, and placing them on Wikipedia as public domain. (The text and the arrangement and layout ARE copyrighted).
The laws of other countries probably differ on this matter, since it's not one regulated by the Berne Convention or whatever.
-Matt (User:Morven)