Licensing Fees for Reproducing Museum Items?

[Vicksburg Dave]

Hello Comrades,
I went to a local archive/museum today to see about getting the specs on a flag so I could make a copy of it. They told me that I had to pay a $50.00 fee to make a reproduction of any flag in their collection. They said reenactors were taking up too much of their time. Is that a common policy among museums?

Thanks,

D

[marylandreb]

Re: Licensing Fees for Reproducing Museum Items?

Dave
I seem to remember more than one group helping to raise money for flag preservation, can you say what museum this was?
Paul Sparks

[Vicksburg Dave]

Re: Licensing Fees for Reproducing Museum Items?

Can't say right now, I want to see if they have a change of heart before I complain too loudly. My understanding is that it had nothing to do with preservation and everything to do with not wanting to be bothered. Moreover, it did not matter whether you did the research at their facility or not, simply carrying a flag copied from their collection requires a fee.

[ACo.]

Re: Licensing Fees for Reproducing Museum Items?

"Is that a common policy among museums?"

If I am not mistaken, yes it is. You may have gotten a crabby employee on a bad day but many, if not most museums are understaffed and the time they spend "helping" you takes time away from work that they have to do like preservation and cataloguing of the collection, documentation, research, setting up new displays, tour groups, security, record keeping, etc., etc. True, the collection is there for the benefit of the public but nothing is free - they have expenses and time is always at a premium. I've heard from a number of people that make quality reproductions and those that do research on historical artifacts that there are fees to be paid and they seem to have no objections. Seems fair to me, I'd hate to think what necesary things like their light, heating and air-conditioning cost them not to mention building maintenance and insurance and don't forget payroll. Maybe $50 is cheap for information you can't get anywhere else at any price? Please don't take offense, sometimes we forget...

[Vicksburg Dave]

Re: Licensing Fees for Reproducing Museum Items?

Thanks for sharing that information. I guess I am too accustomed to dealing with copyrights as it pertains to documents, and need to educate myself more on the protocols of dealing with artifacts.

[Matt Woodburn]

Re: Licensing Fees for Reproducing Museum Items?

This is common and $50 seems much more than reasonable. I've made reproduction blankets as some of you know. I've visited museums and they've required a licensing fee. They ranged from 5-10% of the sales. Some wanted the fee paid to them, some are glad to participate in battlefield preservation by me giving the fee to battlefields. Most museums operate on shoestring budgets and are lucky to stay open. Help the museum. Pay them their fee even if you're just making one item for yourself.

[Ross L. Lamoreaux]

Re: Licensing Fees for Reproducing Museum Items?

I guess I've run into quite a bit of luck, as I've only had a small proportion ever ask for any monetary compensation, but I make it a habit of contributing what I can spare each and every time, and I try to make sure that I'm not a nuisance and that I am ever the professional. I, too, think that $50 is a small fee to pay for the detail that one can only get by a personal viewing. I have yet to go to a museum that had too many employees getting paid too much. "You don't get rich quick on history!"

[JimKindred]

Re: Licensing Fees for Reproducing Museum Items?

My experience has been that no historic artifact can be copyrighted, the name of it yes, but not the artifact. Such as a glass in the Williamsburg collection, all fine and dandy to copy the glass until I state that it is from the Williamsburg Collection. "Williamsburg Collection" being copyrighted/registered trade mark, not the glass.

Pay a fee, not likely, more along the lines of me telling them to do something impossible with water and a rope.

[Gary of CA]

Re: Licensing Fees for Reproducing Museum Items?

I've paid as much as $100 for a photograph of an item and reproduction rights.

[Blanket Head]

Re: Licensing Fees for Reproducing Museum Items?

Gents,
I am currently working for the US Army Heritage Museum in Carlisle, PA, and to date we have no policy set up mandating a fee for service. Now that may be because we are a federally funded institution, or because we haven't progressed that far down the road yet. Either way, as it stands now, if a patron comes in and wants to take a look at an artifact for reproduction, then we're here to assist free of charge.

Kaleb Dissinger

[ElizabethClark]

Re: Licensing Fees for Reproducing Museum Items?

It's not a copyright issue--it's a property rights issue. A $50 fee seems pretty reasonable, actually. Many, many of the collections I look at have stipulations that I cannot copy any individual piece for reproduction, period--no matter how much of a fee I might be willing to pay. I use the viewing for adding to my notes, describing features, etc, and end up with a good handle on "common, everyday" features to use in repro work.

If ever there is a question on the fee, it might be instructive to ask (politely) what aspect of the museum or collection the fee is applied to. If it's going to the Friday beer fund, I likely would find another museum. If it's going to maintain the collection, I'd pay it, and gladly.

[Richmond Depot]

Re: Licensing Fees for Reproducing Museum Items?

I've paid as much as $100 for a photograph of an item and reproduction rights.

Gary,

That is actually a fair price. The reproduction rights are easily worth that.

Some sites want a sample item, say a jacket ( $230.00) then actual payments per piece sold, generally fluctuating between $5.00 and $10.00 per piece sometimes more. The policies seem to vary from site to site.

I haven't made the trip up to Carlisle yet, but hope to sometime during the coming summer and plan on looking Kaleb and Chris up when I get there.

Best,

[Bob 125th NYSVI]

Re: Licensing Fees for Reproducing Museum Items?

While it may not be a current trend it might be a sad glimpse of the future.

The railroad model industry just reach an agreement with the major railroads to settle a number of lawsuits based on the Railroads owning the "rights" to the name of the railroad and ALL it predecessor railroads.

They wanted the model industry to pay a royality fee if the name of any railroad went onto a model and the railroad had to approve the model decals before they went into production.

They claimed they were "protecting" their brand name.

It isn't too far fetched for a musuem to claim the own the 'right' to the original and therefore have a right to license any reproductions of the images inorder to ensure their authenticity and to protect the museums reputation.

Of course it could be exactly what they say it is - reenactors taking up too much of the musuems resources and wanting to control it somehow.

[tmdreb]

Re: Licensing Fees for Reproducing Museum Items?

I'm not really comfortable with the idea. If you want to give a donation to a museum that you feel could really use the money, then just give. If the museum needs to cover its costs of providing you with information or time and effort to help you with your needs, that's likewise completely understandable.

However, asking for a cut of the sales sounds like a scheme or a racket. I can't see any ethical reason behind such a demand.

[1stMaine]

Re: Licensing Fees for Reproducing Museum Items?

Phil,

It comes down to this: I own "X" item. It's original, documeted and belongs to me. Why should you, or anyone else, be allowed to profit bu reproducing that item?

I had a fellow once call me. I have spent the last 10 years researching Maine regiments, and the 3rd and 7th in particular. He wanted to "pick my brain" about the 3rd Maine becuase he was going to write a book about them.

I told him fine, that it would cost him $50.00/hour, with a 3-hour minimum charge per day. He was outraged! I told him that if he really wanted the information for free, then he could easily spend the hundreds of hours I have spent in the DState Archives, in visiting out of the way collections, museums, etc.

If I own an item, or information, etc, then it belongs to me. It is MY choice whether to allow someone to copy it, especially if it is for resale. What if they did a shabby job? I should be allowed to profit from my collection, just as any museum should be.

Respects,