Photographs

[Maggie]

I am not sure (again) if this is the right place to ask but it says Newcomers and I am that so hopefully I have got it nearly right at least...

I was trying to find out if the usual photographs pertaining to the case have copyrights attached or can anybodyuse them? I wanted to use some to illustrate my 'story' but don't want to go stepping on toes or getting sued either!!

Also some of the photographs of Victorian Streets etc.

[Chris G.]

I am not sure (again) if this is the right place to ask but it says Newcomers and I am that so hopefully I have got it nearly right at least...

I was trying to find out if the usual photographs pertaining to the case have copyrights attached or can anybodyuse them? I wanted to use some to illustrate my 'story' but don't want to go stepping on toes or getting sued either!!

Also some of the photographs of Victorian Streets etc.

Hi Maggie

This is literally a gray area. I should think the British National Archives could insist that they own the copyright to the victim photographs. And yet I am equally certain that a number of times that the photographs have appeared in books or else been posted on websites without permission. I have also heard Ripper authors say that illustrations from their books have been used without permission. If we are talking about street scenes, many of the photographs are owned by the City of London Record Office or other archives and they would technically own the copyright to such photographs since the originals of the images are in their possession. Sorry not to be able to be more helpful.

All the best

Chris

[Bob Hinton]

Photos

I am not sure (again) if this is the right place to ask but it says Newcomers and I am that so hopefully I have got it nearly right at least...

I was trying to find out if the usual photographs pertaining to the case have copyrights attached or can anybodyuse them? I wanted to use some to illustrate my 'story' but don't want to go stepping on toes or getting sued either!!

Also some of the photographs of Victorian Streets etc.

When you say your story what exactly do you mean? Personally I am always happy for people to use any photos I have provided I get a credit.

[Maggie]

I am writing a story about the murders, well based around them but mainly giving a background to Mary. I am only writing it for family and friends as they are fed up listening to me talking about it all and what I think etc. So I was told to write it down which I have been doing.

The story itself is nearly finished and is tentatively called 'Dublin to Whitechapel with Marie Jeanette Kelly'.

I plan to publish it via lulu dot com so I can just get as many copies as I need for those who want one. I was just thinking of the cover and perhaps some illustrations inside of the area at the time and perhaps some of the newspaper illustrations etc as my 'story' fits in with various reports and 'facts' passed down to us plus probably some 'non facts'. A bit pretentious maybe but I want it to be a 'real' book as it were even though I am as much an author as I am an astronaut.

If nothing else it will make Christmas shopping for me this year an easy chore.......

[George Hutchinson]

Hi Maggie.

Here's the situation within the UK :

Any image taken before 1st January 1939 is free from copyright, regardless of what anyone says, with one proviso - if that image has been restored, the RESTORED work is under the copyright of the person who did the work. This is why I've only published the cleaned-up version of the Dutfield's Yard image, with all the spots and flakes sorted out. The photo was taken in the summer of 1900 so if I'd published the image without the restoration work, anyone would be free to copy and use it without asking or credit.

As for any image taken AFTER 1st January 1939, copyright expires 70 years after the death of the photographer. This is often difficult to prove and most people will be given the benefit of the doubt as far as early images go, especially if the photographer is unknown.

PHILIP

[John Malcolm]

Hey Philip,

First off, Happy Birthday!

Secondly, thank you for the clarification about copyrights, it's such a murky subject that I can never seem to get it straight...

[String]

Another solution may be if you are any good at drawing you could draw the photographs and use those. This might actually be a better way of illustrating your work as we have all seen those pictures and a reinterpretation would attract more readers.