posted on July 22, 2001 11:55:58 AM
I have found some pictures in some very old books and magazines that I would like to make copies of to sell. Is there any legal reason why I can't do this? Once a picture is published in a magazine or book is it available for use by anyone?
The pictures are covered by copyright, just as the text of the book would be.
However, if the item is really old (more than 75 or 80 years), then it has probably passed into the public domain. Do a search under "copyright" and you'll find the government website that has the info. I can't remember the URL right now.
Misscandle is correct, pictures published in magazines and books are covered by copyright. However, it is not always true that images in books/magazines over 80 years old are in the public domain. Often times, material in books and magazines are re-published which extends the copyright period of the material. Best thing to do is contact the publisher of the book/magazine to find out if the copyright of the specific images you are interested in is still active.
