Copyright issues

[Kipling Will]

Una Smith wrote:
>
> On Thu, 15 Jul 1999, Stinger wrote:
>
> >                         Thus, if you get legal access to photograph
> >the specimens, then you own the copyright to the photographs.
>
> Yes...unless you assign your copyright (as taker of the photograph)
> in order to gain legal access to photograph the specimen.  As far as
> I know, retroactive claims by museums of copyrights to photographs
> of their specimens taken by visiting researchers have not been tested
> in court.  I doubt any museum would win such a case if it did go to
> court.
>
> Yale Peabody Museum requires transfer of photographers' copyrights
> to itself, but is very generous about permissions, to the point where
> you can do anything with your photo but make a mug or t-shirt, or
> textbook cover out of it without paying the museum for the right to
> do so.

So what is the point of having an official policy that can't be enforced
or one that isn't being enforce because it serves no purpose?


k.