using government content

[sem_scotty]

it's a general rule that government content is not copyrighted and is free for the taking - anybody done this? any problems?

[briggidere]

i have seen some gov websites that say the the bottom you can use the content as long as it is not altered in any way that would distort the message that it gives.

[cellularnews]

Depends which government!

The USA government does seem to make much of its content available free of charge, but do check that the file being used is in fact owned by the government agency itself, and not by a 3rd party who has retained the copyright.

The UK government tends to retain copyright on all its works.

[wrightee]

Much UK govt stuff is Crown Copyright, which has specific rules on how you can use it - in general, they're pretty flexible and will grant licenses for all kinds of things. Google 'crown copyright' for more.