[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Re: Copyright on Older Materials



The trick here is to forget about copyright entirely (or almost entirely)
and concentrate on what you can do when you own the object. Copyright is
an attempt to control uses even when the object is owned by someone else.

If I own a book or a photo, I can control who looks at it or copies from
it. I can grant you permission to copy it (and cover myself in terms of
copyright by stating "It is the user's responsibility to guard against the
infringement of rights that might be held by others"). And so that is what
I do.

Does that help?

   ---Terry

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:- Terry
Abraham Special Collections, University of Idaho
<http://www.lib.uidaho.edu/special-collections/>


On Wed, 21 Aug 2002, E. Naeher wrote:

> This is a multi-part message in MIME format.
>
> ------=_NextPart_000_0017_01C2492C.29129EB0
> Content-Type: text/plain;
>         charset="iso-8859-1"
> Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
>
> Most archives I've encountered, including ours, have policies requiring =
> permission and/or fees for publication of any of their material (photos, =
> paintings, etc.), regardless of the date of origin of the material.
>
> However, what I've read of the applicable copyright law seems to state =
> that materials published prior to 1964 are copyright for 28 years with a =
> maximum total copyright, if renewed, of 95 years (past date of copyright =
> or publication).  What is the legal basis for a library's charging for =
> rights to materials older than 95 years?  I can see the legality of =
> stating: "In order to get access to or a copy of this physical item, you =
> must agree not to publish its intellectual content without our =
> permission."  But this is rarely if ever stated beforehand.  Am I =
> missing something obvious?
>
> Thanks,
>
> --Eli Naeher
>   Lower Cape Fear Historical Society
>
> ------=_NextPart_000_0017_01C2492C.29129EB0
> Content-Type: text/html;
>         charset="iso-8859-1"
> Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
>
> <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
> <HTML><HEAD>
> <DEFANGED_META http-equiv=3DContent-Type content=3D"text/html; =
> charset=3Diso-8859-1">
> <DEFANGED_META content=3D"MSHTML 6.00.2600.0" name=3DGENERATOR>
> <DEFANGED_STYLE></STYLE>
> </HEAD>
> <BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff>
> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Most archives I've encountered, =
> including ours,=20
> have policies requiring permission and/or fees for&nbsp;publication of =
> any of=20
> their material&nbsp;(photos, paintings, etc.), regardless of the date of =
> origin=20
> of the material.</FONT></DIV>
> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>However, what I've read of the =
> applicable copyright=20
> law seems to state that materials published prior to 1964 are copyright =
> for 28=20
> years with a maximum total copyright, if renewed, of 95 years (past date =
> of=20
> copyright or publication).&nbsp; What is the legal basis for a library's =
>
> charging for rights to materials older than 95 years?&nbsp; I can see =
> the=20
> legality of stating: "In order to get access to or a copy of this =
> physical item,=20
> you must agree not to publish its intellectual content without our=20
> permission."&nbsp; But this is rarely if ever stated beforehand.&nbsp; =
> Am I=20
> missing something obvious?</FONT></DIV>
> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Thanks,</FONT></DIV>
> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>--Eli Naeher</FONT></DIV>
> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>&nbsp; Lower Cape Fear Historical=20
> Society</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>
>
> ------=_NextPart_000_0017_01C2492C.29129EB0--
>
> A posting from the Archives & Archivists LISTSERV List!
>
> To subscribe or unsubscribe, send e-mail to listserv@listserv.muohio.edu
>       In body of message:  SUB ARCHIVES firstname lastname
>                     *or*:  UNSUB ARCHIVES
> To post a message, send e-mail to archives@listserv.muohio.edu
>
> Or to do *anything* (and enjoy doing it!), use the web interface at
>      http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/archives.html
>
> Problems?  Send e-mail to Robert F Schmidt <rschmidt@lib.muohio.edu>
>

A posting from the Archives & Archivists LISTSERV List!

To subscribe or unsubscribe, send e-mail to listserv@listserv.muohio.edu
      In body of message:  SUB ARCHIVES firstname lastname
                    *or*:  UNSUB ARCHIVES
To post a message, send e-mail to archives@listserv.muohio.edu

Or to do *anything* (and enjoy doing it!), use the web interface at
     http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/archives.html

Problems?  Send e-mail to Robert F Schmidt <rschmidt@lib.muohio.edu>