Getty claims copyright on Public Domain photographs...

[johnastovall]

Some days the world just doesn't make sense.

Getty Claiming Copyright to National Archives Images and Selling Them

[Steelsun]

Interesting.

[snidow]

Copyright law allows anyone to claim copyright if after the artist death plus 50 to 70 years depending on when it was created and if published or registered if the item has not been copyrighted again. It's pretty involved process but if the item was never published or officially copyrighted, then it's open game after the general copyright term expires.

[snidow]

Here is some good news:
The U.S. Copyright Office has officially announced that this summer (2007), it will offer the option to file a copyright registration online through its website.

The advantages include:

Lower filing fee of $35 for a basic claim (for online filings only)
Fastest processing time
Earlier effective date of registration
Online status tracking
Payment online by credit card or Copyright Office deposit account

The Copyright Office will continue to offer the option to complete an application online, print it, and mail it to the Copyright Office. Current forms will be replaced by new forms on or after July 1. With new scanning software, the Office will be able to process these forms more efficiently and faster. Note that the current $45 fee for a paper application will be retained.

For more information:

[jeffkohn]

Originally Posted by snidow

Copyright law allows anyone to claim copyright if after the artist death plus 50 to 70 years depending on when it was created and if published or registered if the item has not been copyrighted again. It's pretty involved process but if the item was never published or officially copyrighted, then it's open game after the general copyright term expires.

Works by govt employees are not subject to copyright, so I don't see how Getty can claim them. After all you can still get those images from the National Archives.

[johnastovall]

Originally Posted by jeffkohn

Works by govt employees are not subject to copyright, so I don't see how Getty can claim them. After all you can still get those images from the National Archives.

From the article, it looks like the National Archives actually sold Getty the negatives at 5 dollars each. It would then be hard to get the same image from NARA and Getty could claim that with the purchase of the negative they bought all rights.

[Daniel Bates]

Five dollars each?

[johnastovall]

Originally Posted by Daniel Bates

Five dollars each?

Yep, five dollars each, read the article....

[johnastovall]

This discussion may explain it better...

[Digital Prophet]

Dude.

And people say I'm the Devil.

Prophet out.

[jeffkohn]

Originally Posted by johnastovall

From the article, it looks like the National Archives actually sold Getty the negatives at 5 dollars each. It would then be hard to get the same image from NARA and Getty could claim that with the purchase of the negative they bought all rights.

I didn't see an article, just a blog post. And it was very short on actual details, with nothing that I could see backing up his contention that Getty actually acquired the original negatives. I find that very hard to believe. Either way their claim of copyright is false.