Public Domain

As for this part of the studies where we are looking into legislation and industry guidelines, we also need to base our work on our success stories, that we will have to present by end of the term.

 

As I am choosing Leonardo da Vinci -in my opinion most successful person there is and will be, I was curious to know who owns copyright on his works. Usually there are lots of parties want to own grater masters work, but as I discovered there is none for Leonardo. All Leonardo da Vinci works are out in the open, which classifies as Public Domain.

 

Any work –  book, music, film – piece of art – is in the public domain when there is no copyright attached to it. Meaning that anyone can re-use that work for free, without the need to ask for permission from anyone.

When copyright in a work comes to an end, the work is said to enter the public domain. In many countries, such as the UK, this generally happens 70 years after the last creator’s death.

The phrase itself “public domain” refers to works that have effectively become public property and are no longer protected by copyright law. (Calendar et al., 2018)

So as the works of Da Vinci are out of copyright worldwide. We can put a drawing of Da Vinci on a photo, on a t-shirt, in a book, on a mug and on paper. Sometimes if it’s done in creative way there can be made new work of art and then there is copyright.(Office, 2018)
For example, if perfect image is taken of Mona Lisa; the photographer owns its copyright and there is permission to be asked, before putting it on the mug, t-shirt etc.

However, as I read in one discussion page:(Ask.metafilter.com, 2018) ~ There always may be some “licensing and reproduction issues" involved with an item in the public domain.

Museums usually own thousands of objects produced before 1923, and if anyone wants to reproduce a photo of any one of them, they have to get our permission.

Meaning we can all visit the museums and take a photo of desirable paintings, but only for our own private use.  To publish it in an article or elsewhere, need to gain permission.

Like, there may be no estate of Leonardo Da Vinci who owns the copyright to anything Leonardo produced, however Dan Brown didn't get to reproduce the Mona Lisa on the cover of The Da Vinci Code without getting permission and paying a hefty fee to the Louvre. 

But there is always exceptions like for example famous 

L.H.O.O.Q, Mona Lisa with moustache by Marcel Duchamp 

~who took postcard reproduction of Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa onto which Duchamp drew a moustache and beard in pencil and appended the title.

First conceived in 1919, the work is one of what Duchamp referred to as ready-mades, or more specifically an assisted ready-made.(Tate, 2018)

Readymade involves taking mundane, often utilitarian objects not generally considered to be art and transforming them, by adding to them, changing them, or simply renaming them and placing them in a gallery setting. 


Related links:

https://ask.metafilter.com/41119/Copyright-laws-for-famous-artwork 
http://maefood.blogspot.co.uk/2016/07/happy-birthday-dada.htmlhttps://www.wikiart.org/en/marcel-duchamp/l-h-o-o-q-mona-lisa-with-moustache-1919 

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Anon, (2018). [online] Available at: https://www.quora.com/Is-it-legal-to-draw-a-painting-of-a-famous-artist-like-Da-Vinci [Accessed 4 Feb. 2018].

Ask.metafilter.com. (2018). Copyright laws for famous artwork?. [online] Available at: https://ask.metafilter.com/41119/Copyright-laws-for-famous-artwork [Accessed 4 Feb. 2018].

Calendar, C., Programs, C., Resources, F. and Us, C. (2018). What Is The Public Domain? - Copyrightlaws.com: Copyright courses and education in plain English. [online] Copyrightlaws.com: Copyright courses and education in plain English. Available at: https://www.copyrightlaws.com/what-is-the-public-domain/ [Accessed 4 Feb. 2018].

Cla.co.uk. (2018). What is Copyright? | Copyright Licensing Agency. [online] Available at: https://www.cla.co.uk/what-is-copyright [Accessed 4 Feb. 2018].

Tate. (2018). Readymade – Art Term | Tate. [online] Available at: http://www.tate.org.uk/art/art-terms/r/readymade [Accessed 4 Feb 2018].