I need to clarify my request, which appears below.  The photographic images
to which the copyright question applies are those made by Colonial
Williamsburg Foundation staff photographers as part of their employment with
the musuem.

Liz Ackert

At 05:42 PM 4/4/96 GMT, you wrote:
>Liz Ackert <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
>>This request for information is being cross-posted to Museum-L and
>>Libref-L.  Please forward it to colleagues who may be able to assist us.
>>__________________
>
>>The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation Library has extensive holdings of
>>photographic images (in excess of 200,000).  My colleagues in Visual
>>Resources wish to know if other museums and/or libraries copyright
>>individual photographic images in their collections.  This question relates
>>especially to those images which are requested for use in periodical and
>>book publications.
>
>>If your institution does copyright photographic images, it would be useful
>>for us to know when the application for copyright is usually initiated.  Is
>>it at the time a contract is drawn up as part of a rights and reproductions
>>transaction?  Or are selected images copyrighted in anticipation of their
>>use by other publishers?  And if so, how are such decisions made.
>
>>Please respond privately and I will summarize responses to the list.  Many
>>thanks in advance for your consideration and assistance.
>
>>Liz Ackert
>
>
>
>>  >>:> >>:> >>:> >>:> >>:> >>:> >>:> >>:> >>:>
>
>>  Liz Ackert ([log in to unmask])
>>  Public Services Librarian
>>  Colonial Williamsburg Foundation Library
>>  P.O. Box 1776 / 415 North Boundary Street
>>  Williamsburg, VA 23187-1776
>>  Phone (804) 220-7419  Fax (804) 221-8902
>
>I need some help here. How can a Museum pretend to have any copyrights
>to photos that were taken by other people unless they have benn
>assigned to the museum?
>
>I always thought that copyrights remain with the artist, the creator,
>unless she/he assigned the rights to any other entity. I also thought
>that the rights remain with her/his heirs or estate for the fifty
>years following the artist/creator' death.
>
>Is there any legal expert we can clarify the matter.
>
>Thank you.
>[log in to unmask]
>http://www.artcom.com/
>


  >>:> >>:> >>:> >>:> >>:> >>:> >>:> >>:> >>:>

  Liz Ackert ([log in to unmask])
  Public Services Librarian
  Colonial Williamsburg Foundation Library
  P.O. Box 1776 / 415 North Boundary Street
  Williamsburg, VA 23187-1776
  Phone (804) 220-7419  Fax (804) 221-8902

  >>:> >>:> >>:> >>:> >>:> >>:> >>:> >>:> >>:>

  "That the future may learn from the past."

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