Newsgroups: comp.publish.cdrom.multimedia Path: cdrom.com!barrnet.net!agate!howland.reston.ans.net!torn!watserv2.uwaterloo.ca!watserv1!watserv1.uwaterloo.ca!avfilm From: avfilm@watserv1.uwaterloo.ca (W. Mark Ritchie) Subject: Re: Copywrite on old paintings Message-ID: Keywords: Copyright, Paintings Sender: news@watserv1.uwaterloo.ca Organization: University of Waterloo References: <2qo3re$96t@search01.news.aol.com> <2r5qmg$5t@news.acns.nwu.edu> <1994May29.074423.11730@linkoping.trab.se> <770282022snz@walkden.demon.co.uk> Date: Mon, 30 May 1994 15:52:30 GMT Lines: 12 The copyright for paintings is Life of Painter + 50 years so the 'painting' Mona Lisa is no longer protected by copyright. What the Louvre does have copyright on is the photographs of the Mona Lisa that it owns. It prevents anyone from using photographs that they might take of the Mona Lisa for 'commercial purposes' by the agreement you make with the Louvre when you 'agree' to the Louvre's terms to get into the building. Now it would be possible to avoid their copyright if you could find a copy of a photograph of the Mona Lisa authorized by the Louvre that is over 50 years old, then the copyright on the photograph has expired and you can use that image.