mike wilson wrote: >> From: Bob Shell <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >> Date: 2007/05/22 Tue PM 12:29:53 GMT >> To: Pentax-Discuss Mail List <[email protected]> >> Subject: Getty claiming copyright on National Archives images >> >> This came up on another list and I thought people here would like to >> know about this major scam. >> >> It seems that Getty Images learned a few years ago that they could >> buy 4 X 5 negatives of images from the US National Archives for $ 5 >> each. They bought thousands. Now they are selling these same images >> through their stock agency and claiming copyright on them. The vast >> majority of the images in the National Archives were taken by >> government employees and are public domain. >> >> Here's just one example for anyone skeptical. Getty image: 3090980 >> >> On the getty website it says, "American Pilots November 1943: >> American pilots leaning against the tail of a F6F Hellcat on board >> the USS Lexington after a raid on the Marshall Islands. (Photo by MPI/ >> Getty Images)" >> >> http://preview.tinyurl.com/2825kt >> >> Now the same image from the US National Archives. >> >> To locate the same image, it is a bit more complicated. First go to >> the NARA ARC search engine: >> >> http://arcweb.archives.gov/arc/basic_search.jsp >> >> click the large yellow oval that says, "SEARCH" and you will see a >> search page. In the blank box at the top enter the ARC number 520896 >> (just enter the numbers only) and click on the GO button to the right. >> >> National Archives ARC: 520896 It also says Local Identifier: 80- >> G-470985 (this is the National Archives number for that image. The 80- >> G says WWII and US Navy PHOTOGRPHER, other photographs are NOT in >> this category, only ones shot by US Navy personal. The top page says >> Digital copy available, that line is a link, click it. The next page >> has a thumbnail and the text block starts with, "Pilots leaning >> across F6F on board the USS Lexington (CV-16) after shooting down 17 >> out of 20 Japanese planes heading for Tarawa." THIS block of text is >> a link to the next page so Click that link.. This page is where the >> truth lies. At the bottom it lists "Steichen, Edward, Photographer" >> If you do not know, Edward Steichen was a Commander in the US Navy >> and headed the Navy's photographic team. He was a US Government >> employee and as such ALL of his images (during his service) are in >> the Public Domain. This is noted earlier on this page by saying, >> "Access Restrictions: Unrestricted Use Restrictions: Unrestricted" >> >> As public domain images, these images belong to US, the public. >> Getty, or anyone else, has absolutely no right to claim copyright to >> these images and sell them. >> >> We need to spread the word on this, and any of Getty's customers who >> have paid to license such images should demand an immediate and full >> refund. >> >> > > Not to defend the money grubbers but if it says "Access Restrictions: > Unrestricted Use Restrictions: Unrestricted" > what precisely are they doing wrong? > There's no problem with selling the images, but applying their own copyright would seem to be a problem in an item where their only creative input was cropping out the frame edge. > > ----------------------------------------- > Email sent from www.virginmedia.com/email > Virus-checked using McAfee(R) Software and scanned for spam > > >
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