Camera-wiki.org:UK document in public domain, after 1923

From Camera-wiki.org
Revision as of 22:31, 1 January 2008 by Rebollo fr (talk | contribs) (for anonymous documents published in the UK)
(diff) ← Older revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)
Jump to: navigation, search

The anonymous[1] documents published in the United Kingdom between January 1st, 1923 and January 1st, 1938 are in public domain in the following countries (as of 2008):

  • United Kingdom itself: the copyrights on an anonymous work expire 70 years after its publication[2]
  • other countries of the European Union: the "shorter term" rule applies to foreign works, and foreign documents which are already in public domain in their home country are not protected in the European Union[3]
  • Japan: the copyrights for an anonymous work expire 50 years after its first publication[4]

They are not in public domain in the United States, where the foreign works which were not already in public domain in their home country as of January 1st, 1996 were subject to copyright restoration, and are protected until 95 years after their date of first publication.[5] The publication of advertising material published in the United Kingdom in that period probably falls under fair use for the US legislation, and it is thus accepted in Camerapedia.


  1. The advertising material published by a company follows the same rules as anonymous documents, unless it is explicitly signed by an individual or some individual later claimed to be the original author.
  2. Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, chapter I, section 12 (saying 50 years), amended by The Duration of Copyright and Rights in Performances Regulations 1995, part II, section 5.
  3. Council Directive 93/98/EEC of 29 October 1993 harmonizing the term of protection of copyright and certain related rights, art.7.
  4. Copyright law of Japan (from the CRIC website), chapter II, section 4.
  5. Copyright Term and the Public Domain in the United States, 1 January 2007, by Peter B. Hirtle.