photos and copywrite tip

So many times this as cropped up on another site I thought it worth a mention.

Generally the photo belongs to the photographer unless specially commissioned, then a contract would be drawn up saying who ownes the photo.

This day and age it is all too easy to "lift" a photo from the internet without permission, so best if worried about a particular photo then don't post on the net.

Even watermarks and signatures can be eliminated fairly easily, so the best way if one must post on the net make it so it is unusable if blown up.

Personally I don't care if somone want to use my photos, I think it is a honour others think the photos are worth of copying.

Re: photos and copywrite tip

Thanks for the tip, realspeed, i am careful about what I put up on the 'net.
Would certainly not use anyone else's work without asking permission. Several of our members, including yourself, put up some excellent photos and have been generous enough to allow me to use them in my card making.

Re: photos and copywrite tip

Where the origin of a photo is known, it would be best ask the photographer if it can be used, or at least give credit to them via a link back to where the photo was found. However, many photos lifted from the Internet have no known origin and it might be difficult to ask or give credit to the photographer if using it in a post. As I understand the copyright law, it isn't actually illegal to use a photograph taken by someone else unless some sort of monetary profit is being gained from it. I'll admit it's a grey area though.

It's much the same issue with other types of image with unknown origins that people draw/paint/create in a computer program or other method. These images are lifted and used in posts all over the Internet. This is thought to be OK yet the people who made and uploaded the images have put time, imagination and effort into producing them ..but get no credit for doing so.

I think if a photo/image is put on the Internet, it has to be realised that it could or will be used by someone else without being asked. As you say though realspeed, if any of my images or photos are are though good enough for that, it could be quite an honour.

Re: photos and copywrite tip

At a nature reserve I used to frequent to do some wildlife photography I noticed that they had a monthly 'competition' for photos taken on the reserve.
I thought it was a nice idea until I saw the small print. The reserve claimed complete and exclusive copyright for any entries in the competition as well as the right to publish the photos wherever they wished.
A bit draconian especially as the 'winner' of the monthly competition was awarded a cup of tea and a bun!
On a similar note I spotted a few online sites like this one also claiming the copyright of anything posted. I am not sure whether this site does.
I think it something to do with backups. If a photo is posted and the system backs it up the site has effectively copied the photo so claiming copyright may be a way of self protection by the site.
I challenged one such site as some photos I thought were protected and 'private' by having to login with a password. It turned out that the public had complete access to all the photos and the site used the internet presence of the photos to lure people onto the site.
As you say Mart a bit of an honour if someone thinks enough of your photo to want to use it. A couple of people have had the courtesy to ask first.