File:6 Maharaj Bhim Shumsher with wife Sita Bada Maharani and daughter Choore Maharani Dibya Rajam Laxmi.jpg

English: This is a family photograph of Maharaj Bhim Shumsher with his daughter Choore Maharani Dibya Rajya_Laxmi and his wife Sita Bada Maharani. The photograph is also already in the public domain and is one of the most recognised photographs of Bhim Shumsher of Nepal with his family. This photograph was taken in 1930 in Tangal Durbar, Kathmandu Nepal on the instruction of Bhim Shumsher. This photograph along were published in Nepal in 1930 shortly thereafter and were widely printed and presented in government offices and were open for the public to see in the Nepal Museum. This work was first published in Nepal and is now in the public domain because its copyright protection has expired by virtue of the Copyright Act,2059. There is no doubt that the photograph was published in Nepal in 1930 first. There is no evidence that the photograph was published in the USA or any country besides Nepal. The intended purpose of the photograph was clear - for Bhim Shumsher to have his family photographed and then for that photograph to be displayed in the offices of the state and the Nepal Museum. This practice was widely used by all ruling families of Nepal. Bhim Shumsher was an unknown figure in the USA and the USA had virtually no interest in Nepal in the 1930s. Therefore, it is just not plausible that the photograph was published in the USA as there would be little financial gain for the photographer. However, the incentives were clear for Bhim Shumsher to have this photograph published in Nepal at the earliest - to build his credibility as ruler shortly after his coronation and to be widely recognised among his subjects. The only financial or non-financial gain for the photographer was to be paid to take the photograph in a private capacity for the benefit of the Nepali state and this was the only plausible route. The intellectual property and copyright always rested with Nepal, not any other foreign jurisdiction. Hence, in light of the above evidence, it is absolutely clear that this photograph does not breach any applicable copyright laws.