[WikiEN-l] Google Earth copyright (now that you bring it up)

[Ray Saintonge]

Haukur Þorgeirsson wrote:

>>Simple: Then it's not "free" as Commons understands the term and should
>>remain on en locally. I guess that using an image that is only PD in the
>>US is no better than using an image that is only covered by the US fair
>>use laws, at least when we're discussing potential international
>>reusers, which we are.
>>    
>>
>
>Sensible, but the portion of our images which are really free to use
>anywhere in the world forever may be smaller than you think. Even images
>created by Wikipedians and released "into the public domain" might be
>problematic in some jurisdictions if the image creator changes her mind
>about the licence. The whole concept of permanently licencing away your
>rights to an image is badly supported in laws around the world. Sometimes
>there are stipulations that any licencing of your rights to another party
>can only last for X years.
>
>And I wouldn't fancy trying to defend the byzantine GFDL (which most
>Wikipedians have never read and Wikipedia itself is only barely in
>compliance with) in courtrooms around the world. And whatever the licence
>you'll always have to rely on the judges agreeing that by writing
>something into our edit boxes you're doing something legally binding.
>
>The line dividing 'free' and 'non-free' is a lot fuzzier than one would like.
>
>Regards,
>Haukur (IANAL)
>
>P.S. Here's one issue I'm wondering about, look at this image:
>
>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:KingOfAtlantisEJ.jpg
>
>This is a photo of an Icelandic sculpture. Under Icelandic laws the
>copyright of the person who made the sculpture is important for how the
>photo can be used. This image is definitely not free in Iceland. Is it
>free in the US? Can anyone help me find out?
>

Under Canadian law a photograph of a building or of a statue on 
permanent outdoor exhibit is specifically NOT a violation of copyright.

Ec