UTWÓR I NOŚNIK UTWORU FOTOGRAFICZNEGOW DZIAŁALNOŚCI MUZEÓW I ARCHIWÓW KOŚCIELNYCH
A PHOTOGRAPHIC WORK AND ITS MEDIUM IN THE ACTIVITY OF CHURCH ARCHIVES AND MUSEUMS

Summary/Abstract: Church museums and archives hold diverse categories of photographs. This diversity, combined with the fact that a photograph reflects an image of reality by technical means, raises the question of whether and which photographs are creative works subject to copyright protection. Eventually, the prevailing view was that a photograph reflects the image of reality, which is, however, modified by the photographer, thus potentially qualifying it as a creative work. In Polish literature and judicature the perception of requirements for a photograph to be considered a creative work changed over the years. Initially, only photographs characterized by artistry (beauty) achieved by the photographer’s efforts, such as aesthetic positioning of people, use of light etc., were regarded as creative works (this view seems to be still present in German literature). Later on, the requirements photographs had to meet to be seen as creative works gradually became more liberal.The key meaning was given to the subjective image of reality recorded by the author, which each time differs from the other image even of the same reality. If the subjective image based on the photographer’s choice of the captured fragment of reality is decisive for meeting the requirements for creative works, i.e. creative activity and individual character, every photograph is a creative work with the exception of those that are devoid of the element of choice, e.g. ID photos. However, it could be argued that the prevailing prerequisites are not stringent enough. Museums and archives hold photographic prints which cannot be equated with a photographic work. The medium of a photographic work and a photographic work are different legal and conceptual categories: the former is a physical object to which one has the right of ownership and the latter is in copyright. The ownership of the medium does not grant the right to the author’s economic rights.

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