Discussion:
What is the name of your state? Massachusetts
Does anyone know the length of copyright protection of newspapers?
If someone wanted to extract news stories of local crimes and strange stories from about 1880-1950 from microfilm copies of a newspaper could they do that. Would it matter if it was actual images or transcribed?
Answer:
Copyright does not extend to news stories. It does extend to the presentation of that news, the exact stories that were printed either under byline or the control of the newspaper.
If you wanted to present the news stories as a compilation of 'strange but true' for example in a book, then attributing the source of the story would be all you would need to protect yourself.
However, you might want to write the newspaper if it is presently existing to ask for permission to reprint since most that still exist have ongoing copyright.
Answer:
What if the newspaper does not reply or refuses permission? Is there a date far enough back where even they can't claim rights?
Answer:
Anything published before January 1, 1923, is public domain.
As hexeliebe pointed out, the "news" in a news story -- that is, the facts -- is not copyrightable anyway. Any opinion, spin, or layout of the news IS copyrightable -- but as long as you stick to "just the facts, ma'am" then you should have no problems with copyright.