I need to now if i can use photos from NASA of the Earth (the globe) in stock!
I see a lot of stock photos with the globe in a hand or similar, and i like to now if that photo (the globe) came from NASA or is photoshop created.

I don�t think that they will answer!!! " Stop right now that investigation on the rock from another planet and go answer right now to Paulo about the pictures that we take from Earth!"

I once emailed NASA about this, because I thought it quite stange that people could use their images and even resell them.  One thing is allowing free personal use, another is people making money out of their images.  But I never received a reply. 

If you read the terms somewhere in their gallery, it does seem indeed that people can use them freely, as long as no association with NASA is made.  I think they are wrong in letting people make money out of their images for free, but...

Regards,
Adelaide

I agree that people can use them freely, but not make money out of them - even US citizens.  Even if the money coming from licensing images is minimal for their budget, I think images should be licensed for commercial use.

Are the results of medical, engineering, agricultural and any other government-funded research also freely available to the public? 

Regards,
Adelaide

I don�t want to download a picture from NASA and sell it.
But i think were did people that shell pictures like this http://www.istockphoto.com/file_closeup/concepts-and-ideas/emotions/1735577-in-the-palm-of-my-hand.php?id=1735577. Get the Earth image.

araminta,

I don't think it's NASA job to sell posters and calendars, but they should earn something from any company doing it.  That's what I meant about licensing. 

If I knock at Fermilab's door and request to see their results about some sub-quantic particle, would I have access to it?  I don't think so, even if I were an American citizen.  And even if I, as a researcher, was allowed to access their data, would I be allowed to sell them? 

This is not the same as licensing copies of old art.

NASA does not own the galaxies, but they own the photos.  I don't own the beach either, but I can sell photos of it.

Regards,
Adelaide

PS: I have used one of NASA's image myself.

If I knock at Fermilab's door and request to see their results about some sub-quantic particle, would I have access to it?  I don't think so, even if I were an American citizen.  And even if I, as a researcher, was allowed to access their data, would I be allowed to sell them? 

You just need to subscribe to some scientific journal where all results will be published quickly... scientists got paid by knowledge and fame, not money 

I would say that most if not all public research institutes publish their results which are then freely available to anybody.

And scientific data cannot be resold because they have no commercial value, especially if they are freely available.

There is no patent or copyright on knowledge and NASA data are 99.999% knowledge databases: the published pictures are just here to show the world how beautiful the Universe is (hey, this is just marketing: NASA need government funds), but NASA business is not about pretty pictures but about collecting scientific data.

NASA pictures and data from Mars probes were freely available worldwide almost immediately: science cannot progress without sharing the knowledge.

And remember that even the top secret DOD freely share GPS data worldwide. Do you think that US governement should start asking money for GPS usage?

I have nothing against business, but I'm glad that not everything is business in this world.

I need to now if i can use photos from NASA of the Earth (the globe) in stock!

NASA states that its globe pictures are in the public domain. I never had any problem with any site accepting images where a NASA globe is part of it.

These are pictures taken with telescopes paid by public money: it is not that silly to let anybody use them freely. Well... at least any US citizen

Good point, all you foreigners should keep your hands off our goods, especially you tricky Canadians (we know about your invasion plans). 

Quote from: pauloresende on January 05, 2009, 04:46

I need to now if i can use photos from NASA of the Earth (the globe) in stock!

NASA states that its globe pictures are in the public domain. I never had any problem with any site accepting images where a NASA globe is part of it.

Except for the editing and modifying that some people do, which makes them better for stock, any smart buyer should just go to the NASA site and download them for free.

It's not complicated. We can't use their logos or imply that NASA endorses a product or service. If there's a person (technician or astronaut for example) in the photo you would need MR permission to use their image, same as always.

The pictures are Public Domain and free to download and use.

This stinks. Everything is on hold until 2020

http://everybodyslibraries.com/2009/01/01/public-domain-day-2009-freeing-the-libraries/

From Stanford Law

"Because of legislation passed in 1998, no new works will fall into the public domain until 2019 when works published in 1923 will expire. In 2020, works published in 1924 will expire and so forth. If a work was written by a single author and published after 1977, the copyright will not expire until 70 years after the author's death. If a work was written by several authors and published after 1977, it will not expire until 70 years after the last surviving author dies.

Thousands of works published in the United States before 1964 fell into the public domain because the copyright was not timely renewed under the law in effect at that time. If a work was first published before 1964, the owner had to file a renewal with the Copyright Office during the 28th year after publication. No renewal meant a loss of copyright."

Except for the editing and modifying that some people do, which makes them better for stock, any smart buyer should just go to the NASA site and download them for free.

I didn't use the globes "as is" but partly and modified (color, contrast, sharpness) like in the hands of a model or so. Obviously, you can't resell those globes "as is", in all fairness.

Hi there,
I was just minutes away from posting on Fotolia's forum to ask about their image of a boy holding the globe in his hand.
Good thing I checked here first...
Thank you Flemish Dreams!
I looked at your images on DT, (beautiful, by the way, well done!), read your description and found my answer. 
I'll do the same and credit NASA.

Anna