Library of congress...

[pobbly]

Hi designers

Comments

[jerricurrl]

I guess this is a start:

http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/catalog.html

"Not all images displayed in this catalog are in the public domain. The Library offers broad public access to these materials as a contribution to education and scholarship. It is the researcher's obligation to determine and satisfy copyright or other use restrictions when publishing or otherwise distributing materials found in the Library's collections. In some collections, only thumbnail images display to those searching outside the Library of Congress because of potential rights considerations. See the Library's Legal Notices for more information."

[pobbly]

Yeah that was our red flag when checking here. We're not for education or scholarship so I'm wondering where the gray area is.

[tactful_cactus]

From my past experience, the Library of Congress offers up their images as public domain, so there are only rights restrictions if other associations of the image (photographer, person, etc) are involved.

Their info on each Flickr image lists rights info. Most say "no known restrictions." Just keep an eye on that line. If there are "no known restrictions" I think you're well within protecting your client's legal interests. If any rights issues not listed come up (which is highly unlikely), the worst that would likely happen is a cease and desist.

(Disclaimer: I'm no copyright lawyer. But I did work several year as an Art Director for publishing art prints for resale, and had to do my own licensing agreements, etc, so I've been pretty exposed to this stuff).

[tactful_cactus]

ETA: And I did use serveral LOC images, though not through Flickr (this was before Flickr was born)

[dykdvasp]

does this help you at all?

http://www.flickr.com/commons/usage/

[pobbly]

That is actually, really, really, helpful.

Thank you!

[dykdvasp]

no problem. we actually have a librarian that works for our company and she guided me to this.