Copyright and Genealogical Material
some pages and information of possible interest




USGENWEB - a good general summary of copyright
see: https://www.usgenweb.org/volunteers/copyright.html

Can transcriptions of genealogical documents be copyrighted?
see:  https://www.legalgenealogist.com/2019/07/05/originality-counts/

Can reproductions of public domain items be copyrighted?  
see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bridgeman_Art_Library_v._Corel_Corp.
see also:
https://www.jcms-journal.com/articles/10.5334/jcms.1021217/
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/museum-paintings-copyright_b_1867076

Explanation of "Public Domain"  
see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_domain

Copyright and Genealogy & discussion of "Sweat of Brow" copyright no longer being upheld  
see: https://freepages.rootsweb.com/~riss/genealogy/otherstuff/copyright.html

More detailed scenarios of  varying copyright laws
see: https://guides.library.cornell.edu/copyright/publicdomain

Good general information about copyright and genealogy.
see: http://dgmweb.net/Ancillary/OnE/Copyright.html

How Copyright affects your research
see: https://www.genealogy.com/articles/research/14_cpyrt.html

Copyrightability of Databases and Lists
see:  https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/types-databases-that-cant-be-protected.html

Copyright Law -- vs Contract Law  (Terms of Use )
see: https://www.legalgenealogist.com/2018/11/27/revisiting-the-rules/

Obituaries and Copyright
see:   https://www.legalgenealogist.com/2012/09/12/copyright-and-the-obit/

Grave Photos and Copyright
see: https://www.legalgenealogist.com/2013/09/16/find-a-grave-revisited/

False Copyright Claims
see:  https://www.helleniccomserve.com/falsecopyright.html

CopyFraud (when people claim copyright - when they don't legally have the right to copyright)
see:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copyfraud


Items which are in the public domain  and/or cannot be copyrighted

1) Simple facts - dates, names, etc.  lists of facts etc.

2) Items produced before 1927

3) Items published by the US government - such as census schedules

4) Transcriptions of other items

5) Reproductions of other items that are already in the public domain (including scans and photographs) -- with no added creativity.,

6)  Non creative Genealogical charts with names, dates, places
 



THE INFORMATION ON THIS PAGE SHALL NOT BE CONSTRUED AS LEGAL ADVICE