From: Arts Wire CURRENT  ( http://www.artswire.org/current.html )
April 9, 1996

BILL GATES BUYS ELECTRONIC RIGHTS TO THE WORKS OF ANSEL ADAMS

Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates has acquired electronic rights to the works
of Ansel Adams. The deal was negotiated by Gates' privately owned Corbis
Corp.

Corbis has already acquired electronic rights to millions of images
including works in Britain's National Gallery and Russia's State Hermitage
Museum and the 16 million images in the Bettman Archive of historic
photographs. Although in most cases, he has only acquired electronic rights,
Gates owns the images themselves in the Bettman Archive deal.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the Ansel Adams Publishing Rights
Trust, which benefits the photographer's widow and other survivors, will
receive about $20,000 up front, plus a relatively large share of future
royalty fees. The trust will retain all rights to traditional publication
of the photos.

Corbis intends to produce a CD-ROM on the life and art of Ansel Adams who
died in 1984.In addition, under a revenue-sharing arrangement with the
trust, they will have the exclusive right to license the 40,000 images in
Adams' archive in digital form to publishers. The Adams Trust retains veto
power over the use of each photograph.

Source:

Wall Street Journal (2 Apr 96 B5)