[Wikimediauk-l] Fwd: [ORG-discuss] Gallery photos petition now approved

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Graham Cobb <openrights@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: 2009/7/22
Subject: [ORG-discuss] Gallery photos petition now approved
To: Open Rights Group open discussion list
<org-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>


My petition to the PM about galleries and museums making photos available
under CC has been approved. ÂFeel free to sign up and/or to let other people
know!

  Your petition has been approved by the Number 10 web team, and
  is now available on the Number 10 website at the following
  address:

  http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/artphotos/

  Your petition reads:

  We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to require all
  museums and art galleries receiving public funds to release all
  photographs they commision of their objects into the public
  domain or under a Creative Commons licence.

  The National Portrait Gallery has recently taken legal action
  against the Wikimedia Foundation for hosting photographs of
  their paintings even though the paintings are no longer under
  copyright.

  It is unreasonable that any publicly owned or funded museum
  should restrict the public from having access to photographs of
  their objects. ÂThese bodies receive public funding to promote
  public understanding of and familiarity with art and history,
  not to restrict it.

  Any museum or gallery which takes public funds should be
  required to release to the public all photographs it
  commissions of all objects in its collection, whether still
  under copyright or not. ÂThis would include photos taken for
  curatorial reasons, publicity, web sites, as well as those
  taken for creating souvenirs, postcards, calendars, etc. ÂThe
  original photographs should be made available at full
  resolution.

  The photographs should either be released into the public
  domain or under a Creative Commons licence allowing public use
  of the material.

  Thanks for submitting your petition.

  -- the ePetitions team

----- End forwarded message -----

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