Public Domain

So the images from the original Rorschach test are now available online at Wikipedia, and their inclusion on the page is somewhat controversial. Arguments are made that exposure to these images in the general public may be detrimental to their scientific value as they are used for testing patient’s and study subject’s interpretation of these images. The problem is that the images used in the test have fallen into the public domain outside of copyright protection and they are now entirely free from legal protection for most any use, and they may be distributed readily without restriction and used in derivative works.

The first of the ten images I recall seeing in more than a few movies, and I think most reasonable people would not think too much of this particular image having its value further compromised through public exposure. A fair number of people in a clinical environment would when asked what they think of this image respond that they are being presented with an inkblot test.

On the other hand the first time I saw this image was probably on the Wikipedia article. To say the least, this one surprised me. I can’t help but wonder if the test’s trick is that half way through they switch to color on you. When I get some time later, I’ll post the rest of them. [From Slashdot (a few days ago)]