Which makes the government no different than the music performance licencesing organizations that routinely license the use of public domain (the Star Spangled Banner, and all latin american national anthems as well, for example) works for profit or the publishers that print a copyright notices on book with public domain works. If in doubt get a music score book with 19th century piano music.

Here in Puerto Rico (a territory of the USA) a dozen persons, mostly musicians, filed a complaint in the Puerto Rico Justice Department againt a music publisher that licenses the use of public domain music (over 110 years old but still very popular in Puerto Rico) and thereatens to sue the users of said music if thy are not paid (pure fraud and extortion here). That was two years ago and the government has said nothing about the complaint.

No wonder the public domain is DEAD.

Rafael Venegas
gvenegas.com

“However, thanks to PRG, that’s just changed. Now downloads of the Smithsonian pix won’t cost a sent.”

you ment that it won’t cost a cent?

Fee free to delete this after you fix it jon