It was held by the Attorney-General January 27, 1910, that lithographic reproductions of original paintings in the form of illustrated post cards made in Germany, are subject to registration, provided the original paintings may properly be classified as works of art; and thus importation of such post cards would be permissible. {Sidenote: Artistic merit unimportant} While there must be originality in a work of art, especially under English law, this means little more than a prohibition of actual copying, and as in the case of literary and dramatic works, artistic merit is of little importance. {Sidenote: Application forms} {Sidenote: Certificates} The Copyright Office furnishes without charge application forms, lettered as indicated, for the following classes of art works: (F) published map; (G) work of art (painting, drawing, or sculpture); or model or design for a work of art; (H) reproduction of a work of art; (I) drawing or plastic work of a scientific or technical character; (J1) photograph published for sale, (J2) photograph not reproduced for sale; (K) print or pictorial illustration. Thus the applicant should send for application blank (G), if for an original work of art, (H), if for a reproduction, or the proper blank in the other specified cases. But it should be noted that it is both unnecessary and undesirable to apply separately under different blanks as (G) and (H), since the single copyright on the original work covers reproductions. Certificates are returned by the Copyright Office on receipt of the application form and of the statutory fee of one dollar, covering the same specified subjects. {Sidenote: Term in unpublished work} When an original work of art is copyrighted, but is not published by reproduction of copies for sale or distribution, it is uncertain under the law, as in the case of dramatic and musical compositions, from what date the copyright protection runs and whether the sole right of reproducing copies for sale terminates at the end of a statutory term beginning with the registration of the original work or with its publication by the reproduction of copies for sale. The Copyright Office issues a certificate of the registration of the original work as covering a period of twenty-eight years and will doubtless base a renewal on the termination of this term; and only a court decision will determine whether the copyright of the original unpublished work exists in perpetuity until publication or whether the right to reproduce copies for sale lapses with the termination of twenty-eight or fifty-six years from the registration of the original work. {Sidenote: Date not required} {Sidenote: Re-copyright objectionable}