Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 13

Thread: Old Photos & copyright

  1. #1

    Old Photos & copyright

    Does anyone on the list know what (if any) time limit applies to copyright for old photographs?

  2. #2
    tim atherton's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 1998
    Posts
    3,697

    Old Photos & copyright

    rules are different for Canada and the US

    Somehwere I have tables for both (they are also online somewhere), I'll see if I can find them
    You'd be amazed how small the demand is for pictures of trees... - Fred Astaire to Audrey Hepburn

    www.photo-muse.blogspot.com blog

  3. #3

    Join Date
    Apr 2005
    Posts
    9

    Old Photos & copyright

    The following does not constitute legal advice:

    Anything before 1922 is public domain in the US.

  4. #4
    -Rob bigcameraworkshops.com Robert Skeoch's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2004
    Location
    Burlington, Ontario
    Posts
    520

    Old Photos & copyright

    I'm pretty sure in Canada it's 50 years after the death of the person holding the copywrite.
    -Rob Skeoch

  5. #5
    tim atherton's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 1998
    Posts
    3,697

    Old Photos & copyright

    For US
    http://www.unc.edu/~unclng/public-d.htm

    "I'm pretty sure in Canada it's 50 years after the death of the person
    holding the copywrite. "

    Only for photographic works produced after 1997 (I think it is)

    http://strategis.ic.gc.ca/sc_mrksv/cipo/cp/copy_gd_protect-e.html#section11

    otherwise:

    "The general rule is that copyright lasts for the life of the author plus 50 years. Once copyright expires, the work is in the public domain and anyone can make copies for any purpose without permission. After the death of the author, photographer, or mapmaker, permission should be sought from the author's estate. Also, copyright can be transferred or sold. If that has happened, you should seek permission from the owner of the copyright. The duration of copyright for photographs and maps was different until recent amendments to the Canadian Copyright Act. The bottom line is that if the photograph or map was made before 1 January 1954, it is in the public domain. Otherwise the new rule of the life of the photographer, etc. plus 50 years apples."

    i.e Copyright for photogaphs in Canada used to be 50 years from the year of the date of creation until 1997 when photography was brought in line with other forms of authorship and it became life+50

    (I seem to recall there are a couple of other wrinkles - when I find my which box my copyright manual is in I'll double check - I think to do with unpublsihed works and posthumous publication - because the I am not 100% sure if the papragraph above actually applies to when the work was first created or first published as far as it applies to photogrpahs - when i worked in an archives we ahd a big flow chart to work this out....)

    e.g. - from the copyright office

    Unknown Author
    In the case of a work where the identity of the author is unknown, but the work is protected for the life of the author, the copyright subsists for whichever of the following terms ends earlier:

    the remainder of the calendar year of the first publication of the work and a period of 50 years after that; or
    the remainder of the calendar year of the making of the work and 75 years after that.
    Posthumous works
    These are works which have not been published (or for certain types of works which have not been published nor performed or delivered in public) during the lifetime of the author.

    The duration of the copyright in these works depends upon the date of creation of the work. If the work was created after July 25, 1997, the term of copyright protection is the life of the author, the remainder of the calendar year in which the author dies, and for 50 years following the end of the calendar year.

    If the work was created before July 25, 1997, then three different scenarios can exist:

    First, the author dies, the work is published, performed or delivered prior to July 25, 1997, the copyright lasts for the remainder of the calendar year in which the work was first published, performed or delivered and for 50 years after that.
    Second, the author dies during the 50 years immediately before July 25, 1997 and the work has not been published, performed or delivered on July 25, 1997, the copyright lasts until December 31, 1997 (for the remainder of the calendar year in which Bill C-32 comes into force and for 50 years following the end of that calendar year).
    Third, the author died more than 50 years immediately before July 25, 1997 and the work has not been published, performed or delivered on July 25, 1997, the copyright lasts until December 31, 1997 (for the remainder of the calendar year in which Bill C-32 comes into force and for five years following the end of that calendar year). "

    Bottom line - it may be simple... but not always :-)

    See if you can find a copy of Lesley Ellen Harris' "Canadian Copyright Law" at the library (usually inthe refernce section) - I think it has a chapter on this. It's worth looking at as a photographer anyway. It's the best book on the subject
    You'd be amazed how small the demand is for pictures of trees... - Fred Astaire to Audrey Hepburn

    www.photo-muse.blogspot.com blog

  6. #6

    Join Date
    Sep 2003
    Location
    Portland, OR
    Posts
    743

    Old Photos & copyright

    Rule of thumb for the US -

    If Mickey Mouse was around when the work was created, then the work is still copywritten today, possibly forever...

  7. #7

    Join Date
    Jan 2001
    Posts
    4,589

    Old Photos & copyright

    Copyright laws were formerly intended to protect the creater of the item, without restricting public use of the material without appropiate compensation to the creater. Now, in the US, they seem to have been changed to protect forever the "intellectual properties" of large corportations. What's new?
    Wilhelm (Sarasota)

  8. #8

    Old Photos & copyright

    Thanks for the replies folks!

    The pictures I am interested in are 100 years old so they're probably public domain.

    There's a few old west photos I want to turn into Tintypes :-)

  9. #9

    Join Date
    Sep 2003
    Posts
    538

    Old Photos & copyright

    Jane, I'd suggest looking at this kind of thing from a practical, rather than legal, point of view.

    Lawyers make about ten times (or more) per day what I make. It will consume perhaps five days of their time to handle someone's lawsuit against me. If their side wins, the lawyer's fee is 1/3 of the settlement.

    So do the math. I must be able to instantly fork over something like six month's pay (probably more) in a lawsuit to make it worth a lawyer's effort to get involved.

    Since my house is protected with a Massachusetts Homestead Declaration and my car is worth only about what I owe on it and since I have no big portfolio of stocks and bonds...

    Anyone would have a very, very difficult time convincing a lawyer to go after me for anything.

    Poverty has its virtues. ;0)

  10. #10

    Old Photos & copyright

    Bottom line is, it depends whether anyone's been renewing those copyrights--or (wild card) if the copyright was ever taken out. As you gather, this can be a thorny topic, though John's right, in all likelihood it's moot. Before taking any of this as legal advice, acquaint yourself with the history of the photos you want to work with. See if anyone's still concerned about their fate...

Similar Threads

  1. Copyright infringement?
    By jhogan in forum Business
    Replies: 25
    Last Post: 8-Mar-2010, 06:18
  2. digitally manipulated photos vs. "pure"photos
    By tim atherton in forum On Photography
    Replies: 104
    Last Post: 7-Nov-2006, 12:27
  3. copyright registration
    By paulr in forum Business
    Replies: 14
    Last Post: 7-Mar-2006, 10:47
  4. New law affecting copyright
    By Ron Marshall in forum Business
    Replies: 4
    Last Post: 6-Mar-2006, 11:26
  5. International copyright infringement
    By e in forum Business
    Replies: 6
    Last Post: 23-Aug-2004, 06:36

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •