posted
Here's a question that occured to me the other day when the use of Leonardo da Vinci's picture of a man in a circle ("schema delle proporzioni" or "il corpo umano") was considered for a layout.
Who holds the copyright on that picture and others like,let's say, Duerrer's "Praying Hands"? Both popular images. How does one find out? Can they be used on signs? Should some details be changed? Did anybody ever have to deal with this?
posted
the short answer is "anything that is over 64 years old* is considered "in the public domain" and that means it is safe to use. that is the reason the copyright notice "(c)" is followed by the year, as in: (c) Scootex, 2002 or (c) 2002 by Scooterx so you'll know when its safe. if the item was first published prior to 1934 you're OK. (that's also why you tend to find lots of advertising art from the 1930s now making its way into clip art books -- it is public domain, so the publishers don't have to pay anybody to use it.)
(*the rules have changed, so newer items can now have copyrights that last longer than that, but the items you mentioned are both in the public domain).
-------------------- :: Scooter Marriner :: :: Coyote Signs :: :: Oakland, CA :: :: still a beginner :: :: Posts: 1356 | From: Oakland (and San Francisco) | Registered: Mar 2001
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posted
Scooter, I was wondering about things like Beatrix Potter's art....she has been dead for many years, her work going back to Victorian times, but her work is now copyrighted under the Fredrick Warne Co.
Use of her work I believe is in violation of that copyright...it's confusing!
posted
Some copyrights can be infinately renewed when certain changes are made. Even to the point of adding artwork to a copyrighted collection publication. Some owners of original artwork such as museums have the right to withold duplications under other laws than copyrights which protect such collections. There are international laws that protect these collections much in the same manner as a copyright. Penalties for breech of ownership can be more severe than copyright violations as they are a criminal offense, often at the felony level. Copyright violations are typically pursued much the same as a civil case or on a bomplaint basis. Public domain refers only to those works which specifically have lost their copyright protection when the owner has not renewed or updated their copyright and which do not fall under other ownership laws.
-------------------- Kent Smith Smith Sign Studio P.O.Box 2385, Estes Park, CO 80517-2385 kent@smithsignstudio.com Posts: 1025 | From: Estes Park, CO | Registered: Nov 1998
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posted
Thanks for the input. I didn't think I'd ever be in much danger to get into trouble out here "in the woods", no matter what I put on my signs, but I figured it is something that a signmaker should be educated about. I'm still in the dark as to how one can find out about ownership or copyright, or who would possibly discover and lay charges against you for breech of it. I know this is no urgent question or anything, just curious.... Have a nice weekend.
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