English: First published (in a version that was also monochromatic but tinted green) as the author portrait on the right flap of the dust jacket of the first hardcover edition of Rawls's 1971 book A Theory of Justice (SBN 674-88010-2). Retouched by uploader.

English: Published by the Belknap Press of Harvard University Press. Photograph taken by Alec Rawls, John's son. The portrait was uncredited on the original dust jacket, but Alec is identified as its photographer on the copyright page of the 1994 German-language first edition of the book John Rawls by Thomas Pogge.

English: No permission is required because the photograph is in the public domain. It was first published in the United States prior to 1978 on a dust jacket that did not carry a valid copyright notice. A Theory of Justice was first published in 1971. The hardcover book itself carried a copyright notice, so its contents remain copyrighted. However, the first-edition dust jacket did not carry a separate copyright notice. According to The Compendium of U.S. Copyright Office Practices: Chapter 2200, § 2207.1(C) at p. 15:

"A notice of copyright on the dust jacket of a book is not an acceptable notice for the book, because the dust jacket is not permanently attached to the book. Likewise, a notice appearing in a book is not an acceptable notice for the dust jacket or any material appearing on that dust jacket, even if the book refers to the jacket or material appearing on the jacket."

The pre-1989 requirements for a valid copyright notice were highly formalistic and required all three of the following elements:

1. "The symbol © or the word 'Copyright' or the abbreviation 'Copr.' or an acceptable variant such as "(c)";
2. "The year of first publication for the work"; and
3. "The name of the copyright owner, or an abbreviation by which the name can be recognized, or a generally known alternative designation of the owner."

If just one of these elements is omitted, the work is deemed to be published without notice and is not eligible for copyright protection. Neither the year "1971" nor a copyright symbol (or any acceptable variant) appear anywhere on the dust jacket. The full dust jacket can be inspected at this WorthPoint listing.