[Ohiodig] Preprinted Form Copyright

[Noah Stegman Rechtin]

Dear All,

Can anyone speak to the copyright of preprinted forms and form type
booklets? For example, we have a number of pilot's log books in our
collection. The log books were published by a company and sold to pilots.
The pilot would fill in each flight in the log. In some cases, the log
books are copyrighted by the publisher. For example, an example
<http://digitalcollections.museumofflight.org/items/show/39246> from the
Museum of Flight was published by Air Associates, Inc. and "Copyright 1942
by Frank C. Ringer" is printed on the title page. In this case the
copyright is not defective <http://chart.copyrightdata.com/ch02.html> – it
includes the word "copyright", a date, and a name. Theoretically, it
should still be in copyright, but the Museum of Flight and many other
aviation museums have seen fit to digitize and post them online. I fully
support this, but how is this justified? Is this use considered, and I hope
I'm using this term correctly, "transformative use
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transformative_use>"? If so, would the
posting of a completely blank log book be a violation of copyright?

In another series of cases, there are documents that were handed out to
newly enlisted soldiers to use as diaries. For instance, a "Service Record
<http://www.archive.org/details/TSWM-2016-06-008>" that was published by
the *Cincinnati Times-Star*. While they of course contain many pages with
blank lines with the intent the soldier would use them to write down the
events of his daily life, they also frequently acted as guide books –
including sections written by the publisher describing the basics of
military life such as ranks and regulations. Furthermore, some of them also
include sketches or illustrations also inserted by the publisher.

Anyone have any input on the legal situation for documents like these?

Sincerely,
Noah Stegman Rechtin
*Tri-State Warbird Museum <http://tri-statewarbirdmuseum.org/>*
*Collections Manager & Museum Attendant*
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