Thomas Berry, Archivist | Historical
Construction Equipment Association
wrote:
>This is probably a simpler matter than
it appears to my tired brain, but
>here goes: We were sent a number of digital images by e-mail. For purposes >of documenting the donation, what would constitute the original of an image >that is photographed with a digital camera, since there is no hard copy of a >negative, and how would I account for copyright ownership? The question of what is an original of a
digital document is actually pretty interesting. In the analog world, the
rule is that any copy loses something due to the introduction of noise and the
lost of quality. In the digital world, one can make exact copies of the
orignal that are, for all purposes, identical.
For a really interesting article on the
subject, see
David M. Levy, "Where's Waldo? Reflections
on Copies and Authenticity in a Digital Environment," in _Authenticity in a
Digital Environment_ (Washington, D.C.: Council on Library and Information
Resources, May 2000), p. 24-31.
The same publicatin contains several other
really interesting articles, including one by Peter Hirtle.
Available for download from
Ownership of copyright is completely
independent of physical form (which is particularly handy here). Transfer
of an original photograph -- even the negative -- does not affect
copyright. Unless copyright is specifically transferred in writing in the
deed of gift (or purchase contract), copyright remains with the
photographer.
-- Richard Pearce-Moses
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