If an image is part of court records, is it copyrighted?
queenoflalaland asked:
I need to use an image that is part of court records. It was released to the public.
I need to use an image that is part of court records. It was released to the public.
if its released to the public, then the publisher has given u permission to reproduce the image
I don’t think so. It is part of public record. The only person who can copyright it is the owner.
Whether or not it is copyrighted is independant of its presence in court records. You’ll have to find out elsewhere.
No. Unless it is out of a magazine or newspaper or some other form of public media. If your image is none of these, you can use it.
Not if it is in every Post Office in America….
I would say, no…
Go ahead and use it.
g-day!
(Call the newspaper and ask what they do in that case.)
Even as part of court records, images are copyrighted by the photographer. If they are images created by a public organization (police department, etc.), then you probably wouldn’t have to worry about copyrights, but otherwise, you should get permission from the photographer to use the image.
you didn’t say why you needed the image. if it falls under the “fair use” doctrine, you will not need permission. The court records will obviously indicate the source of the image, so finding the rights holder should not be terribly difficult. why would the author object to use of the image, especially if it would lead to royalties or other payments.