President Clinton recently signed a bill into law extending by twenty
years the copyright term for most works.

Generally now, the duration of copyright is life of the author plus
seventy years (before Clinton signed the bill, it was life plus fifty)
from the date of creation of an original work of authorship fixed in a
tangible medium of expression.  The law also extends by twenty years the
duration of other categories of copyrighted works, such as works for
hire.  The new law and other valuable information about copyright is
available from the U.S. Copyright Office at
http://lcweb.loc.gov/copyright.

As far as Van Gogh's works and the Mona Lisa -- these works became part
of the public domain long ago.  However, photographic and other
reproductions (typically by the museum) of these works are
copyrightable.

On a related note, AAM along with the J. Paul Getty Trust currently is
working on *Intellectual Property:  A Primer for the Field.*  Made
possible by a generous grant from the Pew Charitable Trusts, this
publication, with a target date of August 1999, will be distributed to
all of the approximately 8,200 museums in the Official Museum Directory
FOR FREE.  There also will be a Web version.  For more information visit
AAM's Website at www.aam-us.org.

Barry G. Szczesny, Esq.
Government Affairs Counsel
Government and Public Affairs
American Association of Museums
1575 Eye Street, NW
Suite 400
Washington, DC  20005

202/289-9125 Phone
202/289-6578 Fax
[log in to unmask]  E-mail
http://www.aam-us.org  Website



> -----Original Message-----
> From: Alex Avdichuk [SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: Monday, November 02, 1998 6:22 PM
> To:   [log in to unmask]
> Subject:      Re: Van Gogh and Barbie
>
> Doesn't copyright on an image end after 150 years or maybe 150 years
> after
> the artist's death?  I think that's why nobody  "owns" the copyright
> to
> such famous paintings as the Mona Lisa, and they often end up on tacky
> tourist stuff.  Don't know what legal wranglings go on when a painting
> is
> in a museum collection though (permission to reproduce, etc.)
>
> Anyone know for sure?
>
> Alex Avdichuk
> City of Toronto
> Arts, Culture and Heritage Services
> [log in to unmask]