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What are Reproduction Rights?
This document was written, and licensed for publication by Naomi Korn Consultancy for the Collections Trust.
Collections may include both items that are 'in copyright' and those where rights have expired. When works are out-of-copyright however, they can still be controlled through reproduction rights.
This works because a photograph of an item is legally categorised as an 'Artistic Work' and therefore protected by copyright legislation. Thus, where copyright may no longer exist in the work itself, (eg. with items within an archaeological collection), rights will exist in the photographs of the items. These particular photographs cannot then be used without permission and the owners are able make a charge for this.
If you wish to reproduce an image of an item belonging to a third party (eg someone else's photograph of a painting they do not own) you need to be aware that copyright may exist in the work, as well as existing in the photograph of the work and you would need permission from the rights holders for both.
© All material on Collections Link, copyright MDA and other National Organisations 2006, all rights reserved
