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Reproducing images in US where they are in public domain
Posted: Thu Feb 13, 2025 11:12 am
by woodman-46
Hi I sell prints at shows and want to add Tintin to my range. I gather that in America Tintin is now in public domain. I am based in the UK . If I have an American company reproduce Tintin images for me ( where they are presumably legally allowed to ) can I have them sent here and then I can sell them on my stand ?
Thanks
James
Re: Reproducing images in US where they are in public domain
Posted: Thu Feb 13, 2025 4:29 pm
by AndyJ
Hi James,
It is not quite correct to say that "Tintin is now in public domain" in America. What is in the public domain there are the original cartoon strips which were published in the USA in 1929. That is the only place where they are in the public domain. In the European Union and the UK (and much of the rest of the world) Hergé's work will remain in copyright until 1 January 2054, seventy years after his death. You cannot avoid this situation by getting your prints made in the USA, unless you only intended to sell them within the USA, and even then great care would be needed to avoid using any cartoon strips which were first published in the USA later than 1929