Hello everyone.

I'm new to this group so please let me introduce myself.  I'm Clive Coward and for the last 10 years I've managed Tate Images, the image library of Tate.  Prior to this I managed British Museum Images and have worked in Wellcome Images (where I know Richard Everett, AHFAP Chair, from and who pointed me to this group), the Royal Geographical Society and Bridgeman Images.

I hope you don’t mind but I would like to canvas opinions from professional fine art photographers (and anyone else) on the matter of the copyright status of the photographs they take of out-of-copyright artworks.  Given the current climate; Brexit, free images being supplied by European galleries and museums, the reduced funding for art-history publishing etc. I thought it would be good to hear from the professionals who create this photography in the first place.  

So if you don’t mind…

1) Do you regard the photography you create of out-of-copyright artworks as being protected under UK Copyright Law? 
2) Do you think UK Copyright Law is clear enough on this matter?
3) Do you think the photography of out-of-copyright artworks is protected under some other law, for example contract law? 
4) Do you support the charging of fees for the reuse of the photography?

It would be greatly appreciated if you could send your thoughts by April 13th.

Thank you and Happy Easter
Clive Coward
Tate Images Manager.