Do copyright laws apply to historical pictures?

Answer by  patti (29325)

Copyrights expire, however, many historical photos have their copyrights constantly renewed by museums, foundations, etc. You must make sure there is no copyright before you can use it without permission.

Answer by  mammakat (11147)

They may, or may not. It depends if the photo is in the public domain, or if the copyright has been continued by the designee of the copyright holder. Ie, many Matthew Brady photos are still copyright, while some photos of John Lennon aren't. You just need to check.