Comments on: Postcard Copyrights...

Question: Postcard Copyrights...

digital-dragonfly — Mon, 06 Mar 2006 18:01:53 -0800

How would I find out if a postcard was under copyright?

By: griffey

griffey — Mon, 06 Mar 2006 18:17:26 -0800

Well, the first clue would be the date it was created, and what country we are talking about.

Here's the definitive chart of when items pass into the public domain in the US.

The default is that it IS copyrighted. There's no need to register since 1978 in the US.

By: falconred

falconred — Mon, 06 Mar 2006 18:28:35 -0800

griffey is correct. Just to elaborate:

A "creative work" receives protection when it has been "fixated" in a "tanbigle medium of expression".

(I use quotes because those are each legal terms of art with specific meanings)

By: falconred

falconred — Mon, 06 Mar 2006 18:30:20 -0800

tangible! not tanbigle! Dammit.

Oh, and the bar for finding a work "creative" is incredibly low, mostly because courts don't want to be in the business of telling artists their work isn't creative.

By: Astro Zombie

Astro Zombie — Mon, 06 Mar 2006 18:54:09 -0800

If it was made before 1963, doesn't have a copyright notice on it, and wasn't renewed, it's in the public domain.

Otherwise, well, here.

By: mathowie

mathowie — Mon, 06 Mar 2006 22:55:33 -0800

If it's from 1923 or earlier, you can safely scan it and do anything you want with it, because it's in the public domain.

By: digital-dragonfly

digital-dragonfly — Wed, 22 Mar 2006 07:22:48 -0800

ok.. wonderful answers & info. The question has now become more precise: Postcard published between 1930 and 1940 does have a copyright mark. Where do I look to find out if it was renewed?