Who owns the copyright of the footage of the atomic bomb explosion played in the gif?

Tracing copyright owners and asking permission.
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Halie0201
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Who owns the copyright of the footage of the atomic bomb explosion played in the gif?

Post by Halie0201 »

I want to use the footage of the atomic bomb explosion in this gif: http://gifimage.net/wp-content/uploads/ ... -gif-1.gif
I also found it on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jgi7WgB ... u.be&t=350
But hardly know how to know the copyright holder and how to reach him/her.
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AndyJ
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Re: Who owns the copyright of the footage of the atomic bomb explosion played in the gif?

Post by AndyJ »

Hi Halie,

Assuming this is a US test as the commentary on the Youtube version suggests, I would be reasonably confident the footage belongs to the US government or less likely, a news agency. If it's a test by another nation such as France, then again I think the most likely copyright owner will be the government of that nation.

If the owner is the US government you may be in luck because works made by employees of the US government are not subject to copyright. Theoretically this only applies within the USA, but it is exceptionally rare for the US to invoke copyright protection when a non-US citizen or organisation wishes to use such a work.

As for how you can find the owner, I suggest you trawl through the film and newsreel archives (or here) to see if any one is claiming the film as theirs, or you could email the US embassy direct with a link to the film and ask them if it is theirs and if it is considered to be in the public domain.
Advice or comment provided here is not and does not purport to be legal advice as defined by s.12 of Legal Services Act 2007
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