Copyright issues

[bushnall]

Everyone should submit photos with a copyright watermark in the middle of the photo (not at the edge so they can crop it out)

[ether]

Originally Posted by DaveGibson

No disresepect to anyone guys, but i think people are getting a bit too paranoid about this issue.

Dead right Dave
Surely the point here is if you have pictures you think worth selling put them with a stock library, only upload low res jpegs and be aware that any time you put a picture on the web someone may pinch it as I have found

You're confusing 2 things here.

1. If I upload a picture to the web there's a chance that somebody could illegally steal it. The same way that if I leave a bike on my drive somebody could take it. You could argue that I need to take appropriate security precautions (chain the bike up, add a watermark). But the fact remains that the other person has committed an offence. I could call the police over the bike or start proceedings against somebody who stole my work off the net (and both are about as likely to succeed....).

2. If I upload a pic to the gallery here then Future (or another company in the group) could decide to sell it to an advertising agency for £2M. No offence has been committed and I would have no right to a share of the money.

Now both of those are morally wrong. But they are different.

BTW re low res files......everybody should try this. Download a pic FROM YOUR OWN GALLERY and send it to a lab to print at 6X4 and 12X18. Show them to friends. Ask them what they think. I've done that. It's scary.

[Sue Allen]

I've always found the best approach is to take pictures nobody would ever want to steal....

[ether]

Originally Posted by Sue Allen

I've always found the best approach is to take pictures nobody would ever want to steal....

Lol sadly Sue that comes quite naturaly to me

[Amy Davies]

Originally Posted by JonathanRyan

You're confusing 2 things here.

1. If I upload a picture to the web there's a chance that somebody could illegally steal it. The same way that if I leave a bike on my drive somebody could take it. You could argue that I need to take appropriate security precautions (chain the bike up, add a watermark). But the fact remains that the other person has committed an offence. I could call the police over the bike or start proceedings against somebody who stole my work off the net (and both are about as likely to succeed....).

2. If I upload a pic to the gallery here then Future (or another company in the group) could decide to sell it to an advertising agency for £2M. No offence has been committed and I would have no right to a share of the money.

Now both of those are morally wrong. But they are different.

BTW re low res files......everybody should try this. Download a pic FROM YOUR OWN GALLERY and send it to a lab to print at 6X4 and 12X18. Show them to friends. Ask them what they think. I've done that. It's scary.

Jonathan,

That information is incorrect. If Future were to use/sell your image they would seek your prior permission first. If you did not agree they would not sell it or use it. If you did agree you would be entitled to the money.

This has been addressed on the forums several times now.

Amy

Originally Posted by Amy Davies

Jonathan,

That information is incorrect. If Future were to use/sell your image they would seek your prior permission first. If you did not agree they would not sell it or use it. If you did agree you would be entitled to the money.

This has been addressed on the forums several times now.

Amy

And each time somebody (and it's not always me) says "but that's not what the T&Cs say".

Amy - I believe you. I believe that nobody here would ever do anything of the kind. But the T&Cs say you can (amongst other things) sub license it to whomever you like. And that the license is perpetual. (Though curiously the word "irrevocable" is missing...). I'd never steal a bike left on my drive. But some of my neighbours? Well I dunno

Like I said, I'll shut up now. People seem to get very angry when you point out that the rights they claim are excessive and not what they claim to want.

It's not worth getting worked up about - I've never had a gallery at DCM and I've only managed to upload one picture successfully here. Do what you want with that - but since it's not model released the subject probably reserves her rights on it.

[DaveGibson]

If you want to put one's mind at rest, then the best thing to do is put a watermark over the image, preferably a horizontal bar and initials/name through the middle, make it 20 - 25% opaque and then save the image as a 700 x 450px jpeg at medium quality 6 to 8 in Photoshop, or even worse save it as a GIF!!

Also, with all due respect Amy, you are not in any position to make that promise on behalf of your employers, advertisers etc... (unless you are much higher up the chain that I am led to believe). We have all agreed to the T & C's on signing up, agruably the legal term of consideration is met by someone uploading a photo (meaning future has the permission to use that photo, therefore they have no need to ask directly for permission as it has already been granted). Should future then give permission, in return for a sizeable amount of money, as in Jonathan's made up scenario suggests, to use that photo for whatever purpose ... following which the original photographer finds out and takes legal action.... It is highly likely the original T & C's would stand as the individual has agreed to them prior to uploading any photos (the old example of T & C's being printed on the rear of a train ticket, meaning the customer only learns of them after purchasing the ticket are long gone). It is also fairly likely that any attempt at perusing unfair T & C's would fail. But who am I to comment...

[ABERS]

Originally Posted by DaveGibson

If you want to put one's mind at rest, then the best thing to do is put a watermark over the image, preferably a horizontal bar and initials/name through the middle, make it 20 - 25% opaque and then save the image as a 700 x 450px jpeg at medium quality 6 to 8 in Photoshop, or even worse save it as a GIF!!

The problem with adding a watermark Dave is that you are literally defacing your own picture. There was a discussion about this on the old site a long time ago, and quite a few people stated that if there was a watermark on the image they just ignored it and never looked, so you are reducing the chances of having your picture niewed or commented on.