Public domain
Anita B og Erlend V Enget
abeenget at online.no
Wed Oct 4 13:46:56 CEST 2006
Hi Stefan and others!
Yesterday you asked when something become "public domain".
According to Norwegian, and likely international law, some sort of
"artwork", film, book etc becomes public domain after 100 years. Hence,
Asbjørnsen and Moe's collection of Norwgian fairytales from 1850s are long
ago free for anyone to reprint. I have no idea if, when time comes, for
Disney's materials from the late 1920's and 1930's celebrates their
centennial, this goes into the free flow of "artwork", or if they still have
the work protected. I will find it very strange if they had their artwork
free for anyone to reproduce and/or alter, to be hounest...
I think, and know for my own part, that owning som sort of artwork, means
you have some interest in it, also economical. Thus, I feel it like stealing
if someone use my artwork for a profit, without a prior permit from me, and
granting me some sort of royalty.
I know a journalist that, after committing some text and photmaterial to a
newspaper, they paid for that, published his image on their website, nor
asking him for a permit or paying him extra for this. He then discovered his
image being published in a major Norwegian glossy paper. They considered it
to be some sort of public domain, and never paid for it.
Myself, I committed a picture for another newspaper in 2005 for a page they
did not pay for it's contribution. This May, the newspaper re-printed the
picture, correctly listing me as the photographer, but without a prior
permit to reprint it. I called the editor, and claimed my rights and sent my
invoice.
So, anyhting sold in a shop, downloaded free or by fee from the internet, is
still stealing unless authorized from the owners. Logos and copyright
notices still there, or ribbed off, makes not difference. It's still
"åndsverk", someones property. Basically it's what the branch call piracy.
There's a diffuce line, however, to the non commerical utility of i.e.
Disney images on more or less authorized websites, clearly stating they are
copyrighted or trademarked by Disney. It's not into my hands to talk for
Disney's view on such sites, but my opinion it's a matter of definition when
something idealistical non commercial becomes a violation of someones
property.
Erlend Vold Enget
Norway
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