Comments on: Google LIFE archive: where’s the usage rights?

By: Tim Jarrett

Tim Jarrett — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 17:51:30 +0000

Thanks, Johan, for the research.

The interesting question to me is how Time Inc. can claim copyright on photos from the 1860s and 1870s, well outside the bounds of copyright:

http://www.copyright.cornell.edu/public_domain/

By the best understanding I have of US copyright, at a minimum anything created before 1888 is unambiguously in the public domain, and many works from that date to 1938 may be as well depending on their publication status, knowledge of their authorship, and the death date of the author. So the bald (c) TIME amounts to a land grab for the early part of the archive.

By: Johan Örneblad

Johan Örneblad — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 16:46:40 +0000

I just wrote a post on this topic. The main conclusion is that the issue is a bit unclear.

But rpw: images for a commercial biography will not be covered under fair use or personal use. So you probably need to contact Time Inc.

By: rpw

rpw — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 17:24:30 +0000

I too wish to purchase up to 30 pics for a biography I am researching—how or who would I approach for this inquiry?
Do we need to contact Time,inc legal department? And what is the penalty for usage without offering to pay–anyone know?