Someone has put my tree on Ancestry

[Redroger]

Thanks Nick, So as I understand it then, a photograph taken in 1951 by the British Railways Publicity department is now free of copyright restrictions. Am I correct?

[Nick29]

It does look that way, but I'm not an expert in that area - I just cut & pasted what Wikipedia said.  Since British Railways don't actually exist any more, I'd assume that you're pretty safe, but please don't take that as anything else than a guess.

[millymcb]

I think it would depend on whether British Railways material was counted as "Crown Copyright" or not.  (Crown  Copyright following different rules). If it is then yes that would seem right - but if not - and it is just ordinary copyright then it would follow ordinary rules - and be either 70 years from creation or 70 years from being made public...I think... there are some great flow charts on the bottom of that wikipedia link which show the rules very simply

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copyright_law_of_the_United_Kingdom



Milly
 

[Redroger]

Thanks for that Milly, I will check some of their photos and proceed accordingly.

[millymcb]

And don't forget that regardless of copyright - if you access something from an archive, collection, museum or anywhere that they may have "access" rules of their own.... You may sign an agreement not to use material other than for personal use even though technically it is out of copyright. 


Milly
 

[Redroger]

Thanks for that very timely reminder Milly.

[LoneyBones]

Another thing to think about;
People often leave the rights to their material to their heirs.
Plus; when it comes to music, art and other money making material, speculators haunt patent offices waiting for the copyright to end, then purchase that copyright.
This applies especially to music.
Leonie.

[Nick29]

In the UK, copyright on published music expires after 50 years, so you can't leave the rights to anyone unless you die young.

Cliff Richard is now trying to persuade the government to change the law, because much of his early music is now over 50 years old, and he is losing royalties on it.

This is only in the UK, though.  The US Copyright Extension Act means that the song "Happy Birthday To You" written in 1898, will carry on attracting royalties until 2030 in th US, and 2016 in the EU.

[seahall]

I think the Copyright will now be extended to 70 years.

http://www.rootschat.com/links/0661

Sandy