shmmeee
Well-Known Member
I believe copyright law protects an image for 70 years from its creation, so in the case of the old crest it might be free from copyright unless the image rights have been bought.
That's a fairly recent extension as well, don't get me started on the idiocy and counterproductiveness of modern copyright laws.
The original Coat of Arms would be well in the public domain considering it's a few hundred years old.
The problem I think comes from the specific interpretation. If that particular logo was made for the council say 5 years ago then it could still be in copyright. I know the modern coat of arms came in in the 50s, so I'd assume the old one is well out of copyright by now. Probably better to stick to that (without the phoenix) to avoid legal issues.