By Paul Dennis Connuck
Although it has thus far attracted scant notice, the Southern District of New York's recent decision in Bridgeman Art Library Ltd. v. Corel Corp (please see endnote 1), promises to have a profound impact upon the thriving market in photographic transparencies, digital images and other reproductions of visual works.
The plaintiff in the case was The Bridgeman Art Library, a U.K. company engaged in the business of licensing reproduction rights to celebrated masterpieces and other works of art. Bridgeman brought suit against Corel Corporation alleging copyright infringement for Corel's marketing of digital images in which Bridgeman claimed exclusive rights of reproduction under license from museums, private art collections and other owners of these images' underlying, original works.
