yes, another copyright question (not photo!)

[kenw]

OK, and it isn’t about photographic copyrights. And I know that few if any of you are copyright lawyers. So I’m interested in your opinions:

I (aka, me) was a model in a series of advertisements. All were done between 1960 and 1970. According to my research anything produced in those years (technically, between 1-1-1923 and 3-1-1989) and NOT containing the copyright logo or words are public domain. These items DO NOT contain the said copyright. The proofs are too large to scan on my home scanner and I need to have them scanned to protect them permanently.

Other and possibly material (or immaterial…) info:
-The company that would have owned the copyrights (if they existed) is defunct. The owners of the company are deceased.
-The company represented in the advertising (a Savings and Loan) is defunct.
-The only other recognizeable models in some of the advertisments are deceased (my mom and my dog).
-The end use of the scans would be non-commercial (archiving for posterity/ personal use only)

The ad proofs are now in my possession having been distributed at the closing of the advertising company to my father, and having passed to me upon his death.

Question:
>> So how do I convince the dolts at FedEx-Kinko’s that they can scan them to a file for me?

Alternate Question: do any of you have access to a large (~B size) scanner?

[jeffkohn]

>> So how do I convince the dolts at FedEx-Kinko’s tthat they can scan them to a file for me?

Good luck. These employees aren't trained to have in-depth understanding of the legal issues, but rather to following the official policy to the letter.

Alternate Question: do any of you have access to a large (~B size) scanner?

If not, you could make multiple scans of different parts and then stitch them together in software. Exactly how big are these proofs?

[kenw]

Originally Posted by jeffkohn

If not, you could make multiple scans of different parts and then stitch them together in software. Exactly how big are these proofs?

they're about B-size (11x17). Hadn't thought about stitching, I can do that on the home scanner. Thanx for the idea.

found I can scan on the copier at work and email to my desk......gonna try that as well. Quality may be iffy.

[mmuhlenkamp]

You could set up camera on a tripod and level everything nicely, might be as good a scanner. The stitching idea from Jeff sounds good too, 11X17 isn't too big. If you were closer to Denton I could scan this in where I work.

Sounds like a nice keepsake though, I'm glad you were able to get the proof.

[janikphoto]

Why would you go to kinko's for scanning in the first place? I thought you CARED about these images...

And there is practically no convincing those fools that you are allowed to copy the item. I had a project full of my photos on it, and he wouldn't believe they were mine. I was feeling like punching this guy in the mouth after he tried to tell me three times in a row that I didn't own the copyright to the images.

[kenw]

Originally Posted by janikphoto

Why would you go to kinko's for scanning in the first place? I thought you CARED about these images...

I've had them do some work in the past, they did pretty good then. And more importantly...they have a large bed scanner.

Here's one of the smaller ones....The agency did "standard" ads, where only the name of the S&L and some text was unique, the artwork was the same on all, whether in San Antonio, Austin, Midland, Houston, etc.

This is approximately 1965? Tools used included a single edge razor and rubber cement for cut and paste; a photostat machine for resizing and combining layers; and a real airbrush for softening up things around the edges....

yeah, that's me.

[Kalrog]

Get a release from the owner of the pictures... shouldn't be too hard to convince yourself to write one for yourself. Just have it on something official looking and go to town.