Copyright Law Exhibit at Ryerson Library of The Art Institute

 

Why Are These Pictures in the Public Domain?

The short answer is that it’s complicated. Several layers of copyright law, some going back to the 1909 Act, may need to be addressed to determine the copyright status of many works. To make things even trickier, some works may be in the public domain in the U.S. but not in other countries. Also, due to changes in the copyright law in the 1990s, “many artworks that had previously fallen into the public domain in the United States for failure to renew the copyright were “restored” to full copyright protection …” !

To help provide some clarity to this somewhat tangled legal web, one of the legal adviser at the Art Institute of Chicago has mounted a small exhibit in the Ryerson Library of the Art Institute. It includes examples of artworks from the collections of the Art Institute to accompany the concise explanations of the varying rules that may apply to particular works.

So if you are planning to see the current Edward Hopper and Winslow Homer exhibits or dropping by on free Thursdays (after 5PM) , and find these copyright issues of interest. Ask where the entrance to the Ryerson library is and tell the person at the desk that you’re there to see the small exhibit on “Copyright Law: Publishing Artwork and the Public Domain”. It will be there through June 9, 2008.

Announcement from MEMBERS’LOUNGE CASE