Smithsonian images join the Commons

Rogue archivist Carl Malamud sez,

Boing Boing readers may remember a kerfuffle about a year ago regarding Smithsonian images getting uploaded to Flickr. In January, after the Library of Congress joined the "Commons" project to distribute images with no restrictions on use, we suggested that they join that project.

I'm pleased to report that Public.Resource.Org and the Smithsonian executed a gift agreement which will result in the release of 2000 medium-resolution images (that's 5-7 megapixels folks!) over the course of this year to the Flickr Commons and from there into the rest of the public domain.

Link (Thanks, Carl!) See also:
Smithsonian images migrated to Flickr for fair-er use
Can the Smithsonian's public domain images join the Library of Congress's "Commons"?

[#1 posted by sopalin , April 16, 2008 1:54 PM]

that's a cool Idea, everything should become free of rights

[#2 posted by cherry shiva , April 16, 2008 2:14 PM]

ok, sopalin, party at your house tonight !

[#3 posted by chaschas , April 16, 2008 4:37 PM]

His sofa and the beer in the fridge is mine.

[#4 posted by Jeff , April 17, 2008 6:31 AM]

I can see why image archives would be part of the C.C. access movement. But why not have a site that is federally funded instead of using a privatly owned distribution site? Doesn't that allow a site like Flickr to bennifit from pictures that are in effect owned by a government museum?

[#5 posted by Teresa Nielsen Hayden / Moderator , April 17, 2008 6:41 PM]

Jeff, there are federally funded sites that have pictures; for instance, the Library of Congress has one. It's admirable in many ways. However, it's nowhere near as convenient, familiar, easy to use, and linked in all directions as Flickr is for the sort of users who'll want those photos.

Flickr may make some money by providing this service to the public. I can't see what's inappropriate about that. They're not exactly a rapacious bunch.

[#6 posted by CarlMalamud , April 18, 2008 7:47 AM]

This issue is not Flickr versus noncommercial sites. The Commons is simply an initial point of injection. Since there are no restrictions on use, you are free to take the images and repurpose them on another site.