Main Content

Kentucky

What is the law?

Binding, on-point law (about)

None

Advisory sources (about)

A 1979 Kentucky Attorney General Opinion notes that "[w]e have not as yet addressed the question" of state copyright ownership. 1978-1979 Ky. Op. Att'y Gen. 2-587 (1979). A later Attorney General Opinion held that records copyrighted by a third party could be exempt from public records disclosure, but did not address the possibility of state copyright ownership. Ky. Op. Att'y Gen. 09-ORD-079 (2009).

Related law (about)

Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 7.500(7) says that "[n]o action taken pursuant to this section shall be deemed to alter or relinquish any copyright or other proprietary interest or entitlement of the Commonwealth of Kentucky," suggesting that the Commonwealth of Kentucky may be presumed to be able to hold copyrights.

Public records law (about)

The Kentucky Open Records Act was enacted in 1976 and can be found at Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 61.870.

Does the public records law restrict the use of disclosed records?

The Kentucky Attorney General has consistently held that "[t]he purpose for which a person seeks access to a public record is not relevant to the Open Records Law." 1988-1991 Ky. Op. Att'y Gen. 2-682 (1991), however the Open Records Law requires commercial uses to be disclosed to the state, and may require an additional fee for commercial use. Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 61.874(4) & (5).

Specifics and examples (about)

Additional things to consider (about)

Several places in the Kentucky code refer to records as "property of the state": Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 43.080 ("all books, accounts, reports, vouchers, correspondence files, records, money and property of any state agency"); Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 36.040 ("all records pertaining to wars and relics shall be kept, and be custodian of all such records, relics, colors, standards, and battle flags now the property of the state"). The code also provides for recovery of records unlawfully withheld from the records custodian. Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 171.530.

Where else to go

• Kentucky Attorney General, Open Records and Open Meetings Decisions, available at http://ag.ky.gov/civil/orom/Pages/default.aspx.

• Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives, available at http://kdla.ky.gov/Pages/default.aspx.

• Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, Open Government Guide: Access to Public Records and Meetings in Kentucky, available at http://www.rcfp.org/rcfp/orders/docs/ogg/KY.pdf.

Bibliography

Statutes

• Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 7.500, Public access to electronic form of Kentucky Constitution, statutes, acts, and administrative regulations, available at http://www.lrc.ky.gov/statutes/statute.aspx?id=491.

• Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 61.870, Definitions for KRS 61.872 to 61.884, available at http://www.lrc.ky.gov/statutes/statute.aspx?id=40138.

• Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 61.874, Abstracts, memoranda, copies – Agency may prescribe fee – Use of nonexempt public records for commercial purposes – Online access, available at http://www.lrc.ky.gov/statutes/statute.aspx?id=23061.

• Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 154A.060, Conduct and administration of lottery games – Powers and duties of corporation – Authorized contracts – Withholding lottery prize money for child support arrearages and default on higher education loans, available at http://www.lrc.ky.gov/statutes/statute.aspx?id=3012.

• Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 16.066, Design and availability of forms relating to purchases of metals and objects containing metal – Charges for copies – Copyright – Use of other facsimiles, available at http://www.lrc.ky.gov/statutes/statute.aspx?id=1095.

• Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 21A.070, Publication of opinions, available at http://www.lrc.ky.gov/statutes/statute.aspx?id=20533.

• Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 43.080, Access to books and records – Power to obtain testimony, available at http://www.lrc.ky.gov/statutes/statute.aspx?id=22120.

• Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 36.040, Duties of adjutant general – Authority to enter into agreements with federal agencies, available at http://www.lrc.ky.gov/statutes/statute.aspx?id=21427.

• Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 171.530, Retention and recovery of records, available at http://www.lrc.ky.gov/statutes/statute.aspx?id=4831.

Attorney General Opinions

• 1978-1979 Ky. Op. Att'y Gen. 2-587 (1979).

• Ky. Op. Att'y Gen. 09-ORD-079 (2009), available at http://ag.ky.gov/civil/orom/Pages/2009.aspx.

• 1988-1991 Ky. Op. Att'y Gen. 2-682 (1991).