Hello, please may you tell me how you know if a mass produced old picture is in copyright? (as I genuinely don't know anymore!) I thought I did but now I don't think I do and I don't want to get the forum in trouble. Unless it states specifically on a photograph I don't know how to tell for an old picture, or even how it can be under copyright in most cases. Many of the large companies which watermark old photos claim they own them, but they were made available to the public to purchase or collect many years before, (for that was their sole purpose), and they are still available to buy and trade on personal selling sites and fairs etc freely today. It is those companies who watermark who are monopolising on them and marketing them, not us. Pictures of history truly belong in a public forum for everyone to see not to be used to make money
Most pictures are classed as antiques and available to buy and sell for a second time without going through the companies as there's many copies of them about as they were produced en masse and made available to the public from the Crown or the photographic company selling them. Unless it specifically states, or is from a copyrighted and current exhibition, how can you tell? (- genuine question). How is it a modern company can 'own' old pictures unless they have the rights from the crown or owners or those who sold it originally?
I'm a historian and I know if I wish to publish photos in a book or publication for profit, for business use, or in schools/universities then you have to get permission and that, generally, if you post a photo you didn't shoot yourself, you could be violating someone's copyright :- but those are for modern photos or rare privately owned archives from which you ask to gain permission from. but I wasn't aware this applied for all photos after 1923 and that you can't post old photos that were made public along time ago to a public historical/research forum for non profit.
I may have to stop posting photos here as I wouldn't want the forum to get into trouble since I don't quite understand how you know who owns each picture now or how you're expected to gain permission from the copyright holder when there is no rights-holder as such, as everything I posted were made public and sold to the public to distribute and for divulgation purposes years before any modern copyrighting existed... the purpose of such photos was to be seen by all. Also, standard, exceptions and limitations vary substantially from country to country so it is very confusing, (or maybe it's just me). Please may you tell me how to know if a picture is copyrighted and/or how to tell who owns them now. (genuine question I'm not arguing or attacking you). I'd be pleased to know what I am able to post so I do not breach anything for you.
Thank you
