---------- 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 -----

_______________________________________________ ORG-discuss mailing list ORG-discuss@lists.openrightsgroup.org http://lists.openrightsgroup.org/mailman/listinfo/org-discuss