How images from the Piemags archive may be used, who holds what rights, and how to arrange a licence. These terms apply to every image published on this site and to the files supplied from our historical and photographic collections.
Who holds what rights
The archive contains two quite different kinds of material, and the position is not the same for both. We set it out plainly rather than blur the two together.
Original photography
Aviation, air-to-air, airshow and contemporary photography. Copyright in these images is held by Piemags Ltd or by the photographers Piemags represents, and a licence from us is what gives you the right to reproduce them.
Licences are issued directly, with no agency in between.
The historical archive
Wartime maps, documents, printed material and vintage photographs, largely from the first half of the twentieth century. Copyright in the underlying historical documents has generally expired. Piemags asserts no copyright in those documents themselves. Digitising a public domain work does not create a new copyright in it, and we do not claim one.
What we supply is the digital file and the work that produced it: acquiring and conserving the original, scanning it at archival resolution, preparing the image, and researching, dating and cataloguing what the document actually shows. Piemags asserts UK database right in the compiled archive and its catalogue. The terms on this page govern the supply and use of the files we provide, not the historical works.
Using files supplied by Piemags
Files are supplied for the use agreed at the time of licensing. Tell us what you are producing and the licence is scoped to that, covering the medium, territory, print run or audience, and duration you actually need. We would rather scope it properly than sell you more than the job requires.
Normally straightforward
- Books, magazines, newspapers and journals
- Documentary, film and television
- Museum displays, exhibitions and interpretation panels
- Educational and academic use
- Websites, apps and online articles
- Advertising, corporate and commercial work
Needs a separate conversation
- Redistributing or reselling the files themselves, in whole or in part, as a competing archive or download
- Passing files to a third party outside the licensed project
- Use as training data for machine learning models — see our AI training datasets page, which is a separate arrangement
- Any use implying that Piemags endorses a product, person or organisation
A note on historical subject matter. Much of this archive documents the Second World War and other conflicts. The material is supplied for historical, educational, journalistic and commemorative purposes. Copyright is not the only consideration when publishing historical images: personality rights, trademarks, museum access agreements and the laws of the country you publish in may all apply, and remain the responsibility of the licensee. If you are unsure about a particular use, ask and we will tell you what we know about the item.
Credit
For editorial, educational and documentary use we ask that images are credited to Piemags, placed adjacent to the image or in the picture credits. Credit is appreciated for other uses but not required. Where an image carries a more specific archive or collection reference in its caption, please carry that too — it helps researchers trace the original.
Frequently asked questions
How do I license an image?
Email sales@piemags.com with the image or collection you are interested in and a short description of how you intend to use it. You will get a straight answer on availability, resolution and cost, usually the same working day. You deal directly with the archive, not a support queue.
The map is from 1942. Why would I need anything from you?
For the historical document itself, you very likely do not, and we will not pretend otherwise. What you are getting from Piemags is the digital file: an original located and acquired, scanned at archival resolution, prepared, and catalogued with researched captions and dating. Reproducing a usable image of a rare wartime sheet is the work, not the permission.
Can I use these images commercially?
Yes. Commercial, advertising and corporate use is available across the archive. Describe the use and the licence will be scoped and priced for it.
What resolution are the files?
Archive material is scanned at high resolution suitable for full-page and large-format reproduction; many of the wartime maps exceed 4,000 by 5,000 pixels, and some considerably more. If you have a specific reproduction size in mind, ask and the file dimensions will be confirmed before you commit.
Can I buy a whole collection rather than single images?
Yes. Complete collections are supplied as high-resolution downloads for researchers, authors, museums and publishers working on a subject in depth. Get in touch describing the subject area and you will be told what exists.
Do you supply images for AI training?
That is handled separately, as structured datasets rather than image licences. See the AI training datasets page.
I think one of your images is being used without permission.
Please tell us at sales@piemags.com with a link. Equally, if you believe an item in the archive is wrongly described or should not be published, write to the same address and it will be looked into properly.
Tell us what you need
Describe the image or the subject and how you plan to use it. You will get a direct answer on what exists and what it costs.
Email sales@piemags.comPiemags Ltd, registered in England and Wales, company number 11786963. Based in Bridgend, Wales, United Kingdom. These terms describe how images from the Piemags archive are supplied and may be used; the specific licence agreed in writing for a given project takes precedence where the two differ. Nothing on this page is legal advice. Last updated September 2026.