Commons talk:Copyright rules by territory/Latvia

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Hello, I would like to know what the regulations are for screenshots or downloads taken from the Raduraksti [1] and periodika [2] web sites. The periodika page has some content, but to be honest I don't understand what it would mean in the context of uploading photos to Commons. I want to add images to WikiData and Commons of items to prove someone's identity and fact that he worked as a painter. Help appreciated Pisa911 (talk) 21:23, 12 June 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Stamps: copyright protected[edit]

COM:Latvia#Stamps claims that postage stamps are not protected, since they are "State approved, as well as internationally recognised official symbols and signs". However, Section 6(2) refers to "State approved, as well as internationally recognised official symbols and signs (flags, coats of arms, anthems, and awards), the use of which is subject to specific laws and regulations". This clearly is limited to flags, coats of arms, anthems, and awards, and does not include stamps. I propose to change this article to show that stamps are protected in Latvia unless their normal copyright has expired. Comments? Aymatth2 (talk) 22:04, 21 March 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Section 6(1) includes "laws and regulations and administrative rulings, other documents issued by State and local government institutions and court adjudications (laws, court judgements, decisions and other official documents), as well as official translations of such texts and official consolidated versions". Depending on the procedures surrounding stamps in different eras, stamps could be included at least in documents issued by State [...] institutions. If so, one needs to argue why they would be protected. In Swedish copyright law, included images are explicitly exempted, not so here. –LPfi (talk) 10:25, 22 March 2023 (UTC)[reply]
So the argument is that if an official document of some sort includes an image of a stamp, then that image, a derivative work, is not protected. The stamp itself would still be protected. That seems to be stretching the meaning of the law well beyond its intent. The term "such texts" implies that the copyright waiver applies only to the words. Aymatth2 (talk) 13:16, 22 March 2023 (UTC)[reply]
Without specific knowledge about the Latvian legal system, unable to read the official Latvian law and without access to the rationale documents of the law, I cannot know what the intention of the wording was, nor whether the English translation does a good job at conveying it. It is risky to base interpretations on nuances of a translation. I hope we have somebody around who can read the Latvian and grasps law. I don't think I am going to comment further. –LPfi (talk) 15:12, 22 March 2023 (UTC)[reply]
  •  Comment Personally, I support the suggested changes since there's zero evidence official documents includes images of the stamps. I don't really feel it's worth getting into the super pedantic and speculative discussion that happened with stamps of Finland over a similar issue either. So I say the article be updated unless or until someone can provide actual evidence that images of stamps are included in government documents. Even then though, the article should probably have special wording along the lines of how the article for stamps of Finland is worded since it's not a blanket guarantee that all stamps will be free of copyright if they are included in government documents or not. There's obviously exceptions like independent works and designs that were already copyrighted before becoming stamps. --Adamant1 (talk) 04:28, 26 March 2023 (UTC)[reply]
  • Since there are no other comments, I will change the wording to show stamps are protected. Aymatth2 (talk) 14:46, 2 April 2023 (UTC)[reply]
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