Al,

To view your question from a different perspective. A flatbed scan of a chip is the easy way to create a digital image of a small item, at least easier than using a digital camera when trying to show minute detail on a small item.

When a photographer takes a photo at a drag race, it is usually of a specially prepared race car. Someone holds the intial patent and/or copy rights for the design of the car. Most have one-off custom paint jobs. Many have custom fabrications that change the original design of the car. They all have copyrighted sponsor logos displayed on them. Okay, okay, I'm getting to a point here....

When a photographer takes a photo of any of these cars, everyone involved in the process of producing what the photographer is capturing in image form really doesn't count, when the discussion turns to who has rights to use the image captured by that photographer. That photographer or any publisher he or she may be working for are the people who own the rights to the image, not the people or companies that created the subject captured within the image.

Bob