Genealogy Chat

I've received a reply and here's the gist of it.

The short answer for both 1 &2 is no. Visitors to the Scotland's people website may not copy, distribute, sell or publish any of the Crown copyright material downloaded or copies from this website. The General Register Office for Scotland are due to set up a licensing scheme which would give permissions currently unavailable, and so this answer may change in 2009.

On the other hand transcription of information e.g. of an entry of birth, is often permissible as basic facts do not attract copyright. The precise copyright status varies between the different types of birth, is often permissible as basic facts do not attract copyright.

I thought that might be the case and I've just typed up the information in the images and put them in as notes in my tree.

I hope this information is useful to anyone else.

Cheers

Diana

I had a look at the legislation in Scotland's People, but couldn't understand it. I've sent an email to them asking if I can either

1) use the image in my family tree, or if not,
2) block out everything except my family's information and use that image.

I've asked for an answer I can understand, ie yes or no! I'll let you know how I get on.

Cheers

Diana

I can see that opening your tree on GR to only a select few would count as limited access so I'm sure that's fine, but - if one of those people were to copy the images and then paste them all over their family tree website for anyone and everyone to see you might end up in trouble.

Could you not keep the images in your offline tree? (Even then, sharing with anyone could cause the same problems but it might be easier to control if you share with them on a personal nature.)

Jill

Thank you for your replies. Having read over the legal jargon, I'm still not sure what I'm allowed to do. I think the second sentence of 8 d) from Scotland's People says I can't use the images on the internet. I'll need to look into it further.

Thanks again for all your help.

Diana

I don't think Masami's quote is relevant. A GR tree is not an open internet site. The owner has to give explicit permission to each viewer, and I would think it's OK based on the following copyright waiver:

8. Government policy is not to authorise the copying of completed certificates except in the following circumstances:
d) within works of genealogical research undertaken by or on behalf of the family concerned where the work in question will be given limited distribution only. For the avoidance of doubt, a work will NOT be regarded as being given limited distribution if it is placed on the Internet;
f) by the transcribing and copying of the information contained in a certificate. The copyright does not subsist in the information on the certificate, but in the presentation of the information.

9. The copying of certificates that contain personal details, and the use of information taken from such certificates, may, in addition, be subject to:
b) further legal protection for an individual’s rights to be afforded under the Human Rights Act 1998.
c) the Data Protection Act 1998.

Source: http://www.opsi.gov.uk/advice/crown-copyright/copyright-guidance/copying-of-birth-death-and-marriage-certificates-and-marriage-registers

I've paid for and downloaded images from Scotland's People. I'm now in the process of putting my family tree on Genes Reunited. My question is, would I be infringing Scotland's People Copyright if I post the images in my family tree?

I could contact Scotland's People for an answer if nobody comes up with one.

Diana