[WikiEN-l] Application of the {{pd-art}} tag

[Matt Brown]

On 4/11/06, Mark Wagner <carnildo at gmail.com> wrote:
> In other words, basically every public-domain image except PD-self and
> some PD-USGov.

Not at all.

Bridgeman v. Corel only applies when you are using a copy (scan, book
print, etc) made by someone else, and that copy, if able to be
independently copyrighted, would still be in copyright.

If you own, or can get your hands on without signing a restrictive
license, the original work or a copy which is itself old enough to be
out of copyright, then it does not apply.

E.g. I have a copy of the 1922 Locomotive Cyclopedia of American
Practice.  Being published and printed in 1922, it is now out of
copyright in the US - not only the original work being out of
copyright, but any possible new copyright created by making the copy,
since the copy I own is itself old enough to be independently out of
copyright.

I can legally scan any image in the book and place it on Wikipedia.  I
do not need to assume the validity of Bridgeman v. Corel in order to
do so.

If Bridgeman v. Corel is overturned, then I can still copy MY copy of
the book, but I cannot take someone else's scans from their website
and use those.

-Matt