Re: Bettman archive...

On Mon, 10 Jan 2000, Linda Cullen <lcullen[_at_]sipress.si.edu> wrote:
>
> Bettmann Archives photos are not public domain

Some is. Some ain't. If the photos were taken long enough ago, there's no copyright in 'em no matter who collected them, or why.

Which is not to say that Bettmann (and other such places) can't charge a fee for finding photos for its customers. But if it charges "royalties" for a photo that is in the public domain (and I don't know that Bettmann does that) they're certainly not "copyright" royalties.

I suppose if Bettman selects multiple photos meant to be used together there could -- depending on the creativity involved (more than "all photos of soldiers in 1914 uniforms") be a compiliation copyright in the selection.

• Charles Kramer <tilyou1[_at_]aol.com>