The public domain vs. the museum: the limits of copyright and reproductions of two-dimensional works of art

Petri, G. (2014) The public domain vs. the museum: the limits of copyright and reproductions of two-dimensional works of art. Journal of Conservation and Museum Studies, 12(1), p. 8. (doi: 10.5334/jcms.1021217)

Abstract

The problem of museums and public institutions handling reproductions of works in their collections is not only a legal question but also one of museum ethics. Public museums are committed to spreading knowledge and to making their collections accessible. When it comes to images of their holdings, however, they often follow a restrictive policy. Even for works in the public domain they claim copyright for their reproductive photographs. This paper offers an analysis of the different interests at stake, a short survey of important cases, and practical recommendations.

• Item Type: Articles
• Keywords: Museum, Law, Copyright
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Petri, Dr Grischka
• Authors: Petri, G.
• Subjects: K Law > K Law (General); N Fine Arts > N Visual arts (General) For photography, see TR
• College/School: College of Arts & Humanities > School of Culture and Creative Arts > History of Art
• Journal Name: Journal of Conservation and Museum Studies
• Journal Abbr.: JCMS
• Publisher: Ubiquity Press
• ISSN: 2049-4572
• ISSN (Online): 1364-0429
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2014 The Author
• First Published: First published in Journal of Conservation and Museum Studies 12(1):8
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons License

Related URLs

• Author