Copyright Question? - Slightly off topic sorry....

If I own the original transparency, do I automatically own the copyright to
it?

Not stuff I have taken myself, but I have aquired a collection of original
transparencies that are rather interesting, and some are possibly third or
fourth hand. Who owns the copyright, does it transfer with the original?

TIA

Ian.

IF you live near a law school visit their bookstore and buy a copy of
Intellectual Property in a Nutshell. Tells you all you need to know and
more. There is no way anyone can answer your question without knowing when
it was taken, any contracts involved, etc.


"IB" wrote in message
...
If I own the original transparency, do I automatically own the copyright
to
it?

Not stuff I have taken myself, but I have aquired a collection of original
transparencies that are rather interesting, and some are possibly third or
fourth hand. Who owns the copyright, does it transfer with the original?

TIA

Ian.

So if there was no mention of transfer of copyright when I bought them, then
I probably don't have it by default, and if the slides weren't taken by the
current owner they may not have it either.

Thanks.

Ian.

"Phil Stripling" wrote in message
...
"IB" writes:

If I own the original transparency, do I automatically own the copyright
to
it?

Not stuff I have taken myself, but I have aquired a collection of
original
transparencies that are rather interesting, and some are possibly third
or
fourth hand. Who owns the copyright, does it transfer with the original?

There are too many issues to give an answer. _Generally_, the copyright
does not transfer with title to the image, any more than buying a book
transfers copyright to person buying the book. _Generally_, the person
making the photograph holds title to the copyright without regard to who
holds title to the work itself. Since you mention some of the
transparencies may have changed hands several times, it _may_ be that
copyrights have expired as to some of the works.

See
http://www.philipstripling.com/ilaw.html
for links to reputable resources on this thorny problem.
--
Philip Stripling | email to the replyto address is presumed
Legal Assistance on the Web | spam and read later. email to philip@
http://www.PhilipStripling.com/ | my domain is read daily.

In article .net,
"Art" wrote:

IF you live near a law school visit their bookstore and buy a copy of
Intellectual Property in a Nutshell. Tells you all you need to know and
more. There is no way anyone can answer your question without knowing when
it was taken, any contracts involved, etc.

Now that was a helpful post,......Thank You!!!
Credit where credit is warranted. This time I am serious :-)

IB writes:

If I own the original transparency, do I automatically own the copyright to
it?

No.

Not stuff I have taken myself, but I have aquired a collection of original
transparencies that are rather interesting, and some are possibly third or
fourth hand. Who owns the copyright, does it transfer with the original?

The copyright belongs to the photographer who originally took the
photograph. The only exceptions a (1) the photographer assigned the
copyright to someone else explicitly; (2) the photographer was taking
pictures as work-for-hire (as an employee, for example), in which case
the copyright belongs to his employer; or (3) the photograph is so old
that it has fallen into the public domain.

--
Transpose hotmail and mxsmanic in my e-mail address to reach me directly.

In article , IB
wrote:

So if there was no mention of transfer of copyright when I bought them, then
I probably don't have it by default, and if the slides weren't taken by the
current owner they may not have it either.

That would be my bet. As a couple of people have pointed out, there is
not enough information to be certain.

Phil

--
Philip Stripling | email to the replyto address is presumed
Legal Assistance on the Web | spam and read later. email to philip@
http://www.PhilipStripling.com/ | my domain is read daily.

In article ,
Mxsmanic writes:

The copyright belongs to the photographer who originally took the
photograph. The only exceptions a (1) the photographer assigned the
copyright to someone else explicitly; (2) the photographer was taking
pictures as work-for-hire (as an employee, for example), in which case
the copyright belongs to his employer; or (3) the photograph is so old
that it has fallen into the public domain.


How old is that in general?

--

http://www.petezilla.co.uk

Peter Chant writes:

How old is that in general?

It's getting closer to "eternity" all the time, but I believe that
copyright currently lasts until the author's death plus 70 or 90 years,
in the U.S. Every time significant copyrights approach expiration, very
wealthy media companies bribe Congress into extending them. And to
think that the founding fathers really only want a brief period of
copyright protection, in order to allow an author to live off a given
work for a reasonable time (but not forever or for an entire lifetime).

--
Transpose hotmail and mxsmanic in my e-mail address to reach me directly.

"Mxsmanic" wrote in message
...
Peter Chant writes:

How old is that in general?

It's getting closer to "eternity" all the time, but I believe that
copyright currently lasts until the author's death plus 70 or 90 years,
in the U.S. Every time significant copyrights approach expiration, very
wealthy media companies bribe Congress into extending them. And to
think that the founding fathers really only want a brief period of
copyright protection, in order to allow an author to live off a given
work for a reasonable time (but not forever or for an entire lifetime).

Where do you get this sludge? All it ever took was a simple application by
the legal heirs. The intention from the beginning was precisely to protect
the manner of expression for as long as the copyright holder cared. "but not
forever or for an entire lifetime" my blind eyes. Patent laws are different,
and more reflective of what you're referring to.

http://www.copyright.gov/title17/

enjoy

"MikeWhy" wrote in message
.. .
"Mxsmanic" wrote in message
...
Peter Chant writes:

How old is that in general?

It's getting closer to "eternity" all the time, but I believe that
copyright currently lasts until the author's death plus 70 or 90 years,
in the U.S. Every time significant copyrights approach expiration, very
wealthy media companies bribe Congress into extending them. And to
think that the founding fathers really only want a brief period of
copyright protection, in order to allow an author to live off a given
work for a reasonable time (but not forever or for an entire lifetime).

Where do you get this sludge? All it ever took was a simple application by
the legal heirs. The intention from the beginning was precisely to protect
the manner of expression for as long as the copyright holder cared. "but
not
forever or for an entire lifetime" my blind eyes. Patent laws are
different,
and more reflective of what you're referring to.