Getting Permission to Post Images

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 09 Jul 2003, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Silverlotus	09 Jul 2003
I did a search and could only find one thread about this topic, and it didn't really answer my question. So... I'm putting together a website, and I'd like to post images from the RWS deck. There are many, many websites out there that have images from this deck on their site, and several that show the whole deck throughout the site. I'm wonder if anyone knows the process to request permission to use this deck. I think US Game Systems has the copywrite now? Secondly, is there a black and white line art version of the RWS deck that is public domain? If so, where could I find it, and is it the entire deck?

Little Baron	09 Jul 2003
There is one on the net somewhere. I think it only carries the major cards though. I will look and see if I can find out the address. Yaboot

LittleWing	09 Jul 2003
**dont quote me - just my opinion!!!** - but i think that as long as you put credit to the copyright then most people are cool with you using images - maybe even put a link to us games? you may want to put a disclaimer somewhere on the site too just to cover yourself - something like - 'if any of these images are copyright to you and you do not wish them to be on this site, contact me and i will remove them immediatley'

Little Baron	09 Jul 2003
Hi again The link is http://www.tarot.org.il/BWRWS/ Thats the one for the Majors anyway. Hope that is of some help. Best wishes Yaboot

Umbrae	09 Jul 2003
Last I heard, US Games ONLY owns the rights to print and market the deck. Who owns the original is unknown. The most knowledgeable person in this field is Jeanette at Tarot Garden. I know that many reproduce the artwork from the deck with no permission given.

Shoshin	09 Jul 2003
Everything you ever wanted to know about the RWS copyright (and then some): http://www.sacred-texts.com/tarot/faq.htm and the Pictorial Key to the Tarot where you can find large line drawings of the entire deck! (fun to print out and color): http://www.sacred-texts.com/tarot/pkt/index.htm I hope this helps!

Silverlotus	09 Jul 2003
Wow, thanks Shoshin. That was really helpful. I guess I'll go with the black and white images from Pictoral Key for now, just to be safe. And I guess I should look into Canadian copywrite about works from 1909.

catboxer	09 Jul 2003
I sent an e-mail to US Games (to someone called a "service representative") asking if I could use images of their Visconti Tarots (1997) on my website and never got an answer. Same story when I asked Il Meneghello if I could use images of the 1823 Soporofino deck which they have published in a limited edition. When I e-mailed Philippe Camoin about permission to use the Camoin-Jodorowski restoration of the Nicolas Conver 1760 Marseille images, he replied promptly and, I might add, politely and throroughly. In the other two cases, I asked and they didn't say "no." My e-mail requests are a matter of record.

The Getting Permission to Post Images thread was originally posted on 09 Jul 2003 in the Talking Tarot board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Talking Tarot, or read more archived threads.