I recently asked the PRO about reproducing pre 17th century PRO
documents on a website in scanned version, transliteration and/or
translation. They replied that if the document is Crown copyright, I
would be free to reproduce it. They said that Crown copyright includes
most court records (e.g. IPMs), but added that most Chancery Bills
aren't Crown copyright. For non-Crown copyright documents I would have
to get permission from the copyright owner and they could not advise on
the identity of any such owner. Does anyone know who are/were the owners
of copyright in Chancery Bills and would not any owner of pre 17th
century Chancery Bills long be dead, i.e. well before 1951, the 50 years
limit? Thanks for your attention.
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