Copyright - general guidlines

All images shown within The Pin-up Files main site galleries are subject to copyright and must not be considered to be in the public domain. Copyright information is shown within the site where known.

Definition of Copyright

According to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), "Copyright is a legal term describing rights given the creators for their literary and artisitic works." Copyrighted material, as defined by the WIPO, includes "literary works such as novels, poems, plays, reference works, newspapers and computer programs; databases; films, musical compositions, and choreography; artistic works such as paintings, drawings, photographs and sculpture; architecture; and advertisements, maps and technical drawings."

Standardization of Copyright Laws

Although national sovereignty still defines variations in copyright law and enforcement (i.e. the United States Copyright Act), the Berne Convention, an international agreement governing copyright reached in Switzerland in 1886, remains the foundation of intellectual property law for WIPO member-nations around the globe in the 21st century

Locating Copyright Owners

The American Society of Picture Professionals is a sound research resource, and their  Best Practices for Locating Copyright Owners of Photographic and Visual Art guide (version 15th September 2010) has a wealth of very useful information and links. This is a very good place to start.

Recommended Reading

We are also pleased to recommend the following books from amazon.com ::


See also Brown & Bigelow Licensing for copyright and licensing details on Rolf Armstrong, Al Buell, Freeman Elliot, Gil Elvgren, Earl Moran and Zoe Mozert.