In my collection I have the wonderful JR21 Toys X-60 Space Rocket. You can see one here in Ferryman's own collection of the JR21 X-series of toys.
Its the rocket truck with the gorgeous box art.
You might have one too.
Its the rocket truck with the gorgeous box art.
You might have one too.
The box is clearly marked JR21. Alas the box artist remains unknown.
Recently I've been noticing this same box art for sale from image agencies.
Here's one. CSA. The image even says Copyright CSA on it. They're not cheap!
[they stock many more fine space images too here including more X-series box art!]
I also noticed these stock images on Getty.
These shown here are labelled Getty. If you want pristine images it will cost you!
The illustrations are two of the three illustrations on the side of the JR21 X-60 Space Rocket box art.
Who actually owns these illustrations?
They're from a fifty year old JR21 box!
This whole issue of old ephemera and artwork re-licensing is very confusing, and kind of parasitic, in my opinion. The same thing is done with films in the public domain. Somebody takes an image, an illustration, a photograph, which seems to be safely in the public domain, and copyrights it in their own name. It's big business, but I think its really shady. And vintage toy and product illustrations, which of course were considered throwaway at the time, are ripe for picking, as you see with that glorious JR21 illo. In answer to "Who owns it?", I think that is a tricky question with no easy legal answer.
ReplyDeleteYes, tricky Zigg. JR21 were part of Gerry Anderson's Century 21 Organisation, so maybe JR21 box art is 'owned' by whatever's left of that? Anderson Entertainment? It does seem strange that I can own the boxed toy and take a picture of its box art for free and post it on the blog but if I went through an agency it would cost hundreds!
Delete