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Question Title	Posted By	Question Date
Is copying pictures a sin	Mary	Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Question: Hi Brother . Thank you for being here and helping us with our questions. I am aiming to type up, print and bind myself, a small book of all my favourite prayers and devotions. This will be for personal use only and I would like to include several pictures to meditation on . I was wondering if it is a sin to take a snip of Old Religious art for the Internet , for example the picture of Our Mother of Perpetual Help, "The Angelus" by Millet, some sites say you can download them, some don`t mention copyright and others ask for a payment, but who actually owns them, what is legal? Would it be OK to take a picture with a camera , of a framed old picture and use it? Or scan small prayer card that I own? Also for this personal project I have some beautiful art in old out of print prayer books that I had been thinking of scanning to use - The trinity, by EL Greco and Man of sorrows by George de La Tour, for example. As I own the books would this be OK or would I be expected to ask the owners of the Art galleries where these works of art are exhibited? Am I being over scrupulous? Thank you Mary
Question Answered by Dear Mary: If the pictures, paintings, or holy cards are over 75 years old, they may be in public domain and anyone can use them. But, it depends on what work you are talking about and the current state of copyright law. I am not a copyright lawyer thus I cannot advise on the law. Because you own the physical book does not give you ownership of the creative work contained in the book. Especially if the book is less then 75 years old, you need to contact the publisher or Art gallery to ask about it. Tell them exactly what images you wish to use, how you intend to use them, where you intend to use the images (e.g. a privately published book for family, a person website, etc.), and especially that your project is personal and not commercial. The old picture you have framed, if it is really old, is probably okay to use. If you cannot find the copyright owners for any of these works then you might be able to use the works, but you have to make a good effort to locate copyright owners. Also be ready to remove any items if the copyright owner contacts you. On this website we include information in our copyright statements that if we are using anyone's copyrighted material inadvertently to contact us and we will remove the work or pay a copyright fee. As for sin, if we purposely and knowingly violate the law on copyrights, then we sin because it is breaking civil law. God Bless, Bro. Ignatius Mary Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below: Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum. Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum

Question Title

Posted By

Question Date

Is copying pictures a sin

Mary

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Question:

Hi Brother .
Thank you for being here and helping us with our questions.

I am aiming to type up, print and bind myself, a small book of all my favourite prayers and devotions. This will be for personal use only and I would like to include several pictures to meditation on .

I was wondering if it is a sin to take a snip of Old Religious art for the Internet , for example the picture of Our Mother of Perpetual Help, "The Angelus" by Millet, some sites say you can download them, some don`t mention copyright and others ask for a payment, but who actually owns them, what is legal?

Would it be OK to take a picture with a camera , of a framed old picture and use it? Or scan small prayer card that I own?

Also for this personal project I have some beautiful art in old out of print prayer books that I had been thinking of scanning to use - The trinity, by EL Greco and Man of sorrows by George de La Tour, for example. As I own the books would this be OK or would I be expected to ask the owners of the Art galleries where these works of art are exhibited? Am I being over scrupulous?

Thank you Mary

Question Answered by

Dear Mary:

If the pictures, paintings, or holy cards are over 75 years old, they may be in public domain and anyone can use them. But, it depends on what work you are talking about and the current state of copyright law. I am not a copyright lawyer thus I cannot advise on the law.

Because you own the physical book does not give you ownership of the creative work contained in the book. Especially if the book is less then 75 years old, you need to contact the publisher or Art gallery to ask about it. Tell them exactly what images you wish to use, how you intend to use them, where you intend to use the images (e.g. a privately published book for family, a person website, etc.), and especially that your project is personal and not commercial.

The old picture you have framed, if it is really old, is probably okay to use. If you cannot find the copyright owners for any of these works then you might be able to use the works, but you have to make a good effort to locate copyright owners. Also be ready to remove any items if the copyright owner contacts you.

On this website we include information in our copyright statements that if we are using anyone's copyrighted material inadvertently to contact us and we will remove the work or pay a copyright fee.

As for sin, if we purposely and knowingly violate the law on copyrights, then we sin because it is breaking civil law.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary

Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below:
Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum.
Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum
Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum
Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum
Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum