Marriage certificate - copyright ?

[Isles]

ScotlandsPeople has sent me a paper copy of a marriage certificate, the original downloaded certificate being illegible.
I did this for another RootsChatter, and I am wondering if  is it permissible to send her the paper copy or if not, would it be O.K. to type out the details ?
I wouldn't want to infringe any copyright laws.

Isles.

[suttontrust]

Any certificate is a copy - a copy of the entry in the register.  There has been a huge row on another forum about copyright, but I can't see any problem with sending someone the copy (unless there's something on the Scotlandspeople site which expressly forbids it) and certainly no problem with typing out the details. 

[CarolynM]

All birth, marriage and death certificates are subject to copyright - my local Staples has a sign up saying they won't copy them - but the information on them can be reproduced.

[trish251]

I have so many copies (photocopies) of BDM certificates - including my own - that are passed between family members as part of  our research. I would copy it & I would send it to the person concerned (actually if it isn't your family, you may just want to send them the original).

I have yet to see why I have to pay the purchase price of a certificate owned by a family member. When my father died recently, the funeral director ordered the death certificate & then made a number of copies (which a JP certified).

When my solicitor wanted the original, he made 2 more copies for me (& also certified same). When I visited places such as banks/insurance companies to sort out accounts, policies etc - the first thing they did was photocopy the certificate!

So I'm not sure where copyright comes into this one      

Trish

[Necromancer]

I agree with Trish - the Census situation I also find somewhat irksome - OK fair play to the commercial organisations who have wrapped search engines and transcriptions around the original data .... I guess they arent going to give away information when they can get subscription revenues..... and I have no problem paying for 'added value' ....

.... but the Govt sites for both England and Wales and Scotland are reaping huge revenues from that original data - from those Commercial Orgs and ourselves -  that our Ancestors gave willingly to the census takers.

[MarieC]

Goodonya, Trish and NecroMancer! 

I fail to see what all the fuss is about - are we getting overly precious about copyright?  Like Trish, I too have had officials make copies of certificates for me.

I wonder if the Powers that Be are intimidating us into paying money that we don't need to pay?  I see no problems in making copies of certificates for family members, if they want them.

MarieC

[skb]

When I was sorting out the financial affairs after a relative died, I would turn up at the banks with a death certificate, probate certificate, id etc. and the first thing they would do would be to photocopy everything.

[trish251]

Looking at the other certificates - birth/marriage - I need both to prove who I am - banks always photocopy this id when used to open an account. If it's not a copyright violation for a business - why would it be such for an individual.

Much is said about using certificates for fraudulent reasons - where I live to buy a certificate you have to provide a photocopy of photo id - what would be more useful for fraud purposes - a photo of a current licence or a 100 year old birth certificate 

[Walcha72]

Hi,

I'm not exactly sure what Isles's problem is.  Are you sending the actual piece of paper you received from Scotland's People to the fellow Rootschatter?  In that case there is no problem as you are not copying anything. 

If you are making a copy of that piece of paper and then sending the copy, then there is an issue of copyright.  However, it isn't really a problem. 

According to the Office of Public Sector Information (this is a UK department - see this website opsi.gov.uk: Copyright Guidance ),
 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.

So basically, it is fine to copy certificates etc and give them to family members, but not to put a copy of the certificate on your website.  You can put a transcription of the certificate on your website though.

I can't seem to find any specific references to genealogical certificates for family research in Australian Copyright Law.  My sister (who actually works in copyright here in Australia) doesn't know of any specific references either.  However,  the above UK provision seems to make sense.  I would guess there would be provisions for the copying of certificates for legal reasons such as passport applications and opening bank accounts.

Debbie


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