---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Graham Cobb openrights@cobb.uk.net Date: 2009/7/22 Subject: [ORG-discuss] Gallery photos petition now approved To: Open Rights Group open discussion list org-discuss@lists.openrightsgroup.org
My petition to the PM about galleries and museums making photos available under CC has been approved. Feel free to sign up and/or to let other people know!
Your petition has been approved by the Number 10 web team, and is now available on the Number 10 website at the following address:
http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/artphotos/
Your petition reads:
We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to require all museums and art galleries receiving public funds to release all photographs they commision of their objects into the public domain or under a Creative Commons licence.
The National Portrait Gallery has recently taken legal action against the Wikimedia Foundation for hosting photographs of their paintings even though the paintings are no longer under copyright.
It is unreasonable that any publicly owned or funded museum should restrict the public from having access to photographs of their objects. These bodies receive public funding to promote public understanding of and familiarity with art and history, not to restrict it.
Any museum or gallery which takes public funds should be required to release to the public all photographs it commissions of all objects in its collection, whether still under copyright or not. This would include photos taken for curatorial reasons, publicity, web sites, as well as those taken for creating souvenirs, postcards, calendars, etc. The original photographs should be made available at full resolution.
The photographs should either be released into the public domain or under a Creative Commons licence allowing public use of the material.
Thanks for submitting your petition.
-- the ePetitions team
----- End forwarded message -----
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