130
votes
Accepted
Do I have the copyrights to post a picture I took of someone on instagram?
So do I own the copyrights of the picture and can I post it ?
You definitely own the copyright but you may not have the right to publicly display the image. Most photographers get a model release as ...
- 20.3k
45
votes
Accepted
Can I make commercial use of an image which is readily available but with unclear licensing?
In general, the rule is simple: if you don't know you have the right to use an image, don't use it. It doesn't matter if it's all over the web, it could still be you that the copyright holder decides ...
- 19.8k
36
votes
Accepted
My grandfather gave me a box full of negatives. Does it implicitly give the copyright to the pictures?
Standard disclaimer for legal questions: I am not a lawyer, and therefore cannot offer any legal advice, other than to recommend you seek qualified legal advice from a lawyer. Don't rely on legal ...
- 31k
34
votes
Do I have the copyrights to post a picture I took of someone on instagram?
The following is for entertainment purposes only. If you have a serious legal concern, contact a lawyer.
Having the "right" to do something, doesn't mean you have to do it. It was a jerk move for you ...
- 26.3k
32
votes
Accepted
A photo of my wife has been used in a website article without her permission. What can we do?
Disclaimer: I am not a lawyer. The information below is general in nature and should not be taken as specific legal advice. If you have a specific legal question you should consult an attorney ...
- 168k
31
votes
Accepted
Can I legally sell a photograph with a border made to look like an old Polaroid print?
Polaroid applied for a design mark apparently covering the shape of their prints, but that application was abandoned in 2000. That shape is distinctive, but, for example, Fujifilm Instax looks similar ...
- 140k
26
votes
Can I use photos of my own dogs that were taken by someone else?
She had given me verbal permission to use the photos for whatever I wanted, but now that we aren't close anymore, she has decided otherwise.
This comment makes the situation a bit more hairy legal-...
- 361
23
votes
Do I have the copyrights to post a picture I took of someone on instagram?
Legally, can you? Probably, yes. By default, copyright belongs to the photographer and you don't seem to have any sort of contract which assigns the copyright to anyone else.
However... I'd strongly ...
- 19.8k
20
votes
Accepted
Why place camera inside box, during court?
I can really only guess that they are early, or even home-made versions of a camera blimp, used to reduce the shutter noise.
They are predominantly used on movie/TV sets, by the show's stills ...
- 19.7k
13
votes
Do I have the copyrights to post a picture I took of someone on instagram?
Don't know about the US in general and Florida specially, but in many jurisdictions, there are several different rights possible attached to a photo, including:
Copyright, which you hold if you are ...
- 317
12
votes
Is modifying a photo to educate generally fair use?
This seems likely to qualify as fair use, by several of the four factors used as tests.
"The purpose and character of your use" — educational and as part of commentary on educational article
"the ...
- 140k
11
votes
Accepted
Can I upload pics I took for a paid job, even though the company asked me not to?
As you said in a comment:
the company now has the rights to the images
Therefore they're not your images any more, they are your client's - and therefore any use of them by you without permission ...
- 19.8k
10
votes
Can I make commercial use of an image which is readily available but with unclear licensing?
Creative works are automatically protected by copyright law. You don't have to register the work, put a copyright symbol on it or anything. By default, nobody can copy it (except for fair use). That ...
- 201
10
votes
My grandfather gave me a box full of negatives. Does it implicitly give the copyright to the pictures?
Does the copyright get automatically transferred to me along with the
original film?
No
While you use those pictures for your own personal enjoyment, it probably does not matter.
However, as ...
- 241
10
votes
Can a tripod be used on the grounds of the Royal Observatory, Greenwich?
It can't be a by-law, as it's private property; it can only be a 'management decision' & frankly they can be as capricious as they like.
I've been there with a full film crew & 100 movie ...
- 19.7k
9
votes
Can I use photos of my own dogs that were taken by someone else?
Assuming you are in the United States, the photographer owns all rights to images they take unless they were done under a contract that assigns those rights to someone else or under a work-for-hire ...
- 168k
9
votes
What is the legality of selling prints of "private land" in the UK?
The general position under UK law is that you can take any photos you like if you are on public property - this is how all those long-lens paparazzi are legal. As you note, almost all the UK is owned ...
- 19.8k
8
votes
Accepted
Doesn't the spread of photographs on social media fall under copyright infringement?
Yes, there is a breathtaking amount of copyright infringement going on on the internet.
The thing is: where it concerns images, most of it happens with the implicit approval of the copyright holders, ...
- 4,544
8
votes
Accepted
Do I need permission from the photographer to use images taken of me in my personal portfolio?
I don't think your jurisdiction even matters.
Let's take a common sense approach.
You have an image of yourself. It was taken by some photographer.
You think this is a very good image and you want ...
- 8,334
8
votes
Whose permission do I need to feature photographs for analysis on my web site?
So who exactly do I have to get permisssion from to use photos froma shoot
Simply, the person who owns the rights to the image(s) under question.
The vast majority of the time, and absent ...
- 31k
7
votes
my wedding photos were a gift but now she wants to put them all over the internet
She took the photos. She owns them. She gave you a copy of them, but they're still her photos. If she were to use them for commercial purposes (your image in advertising) you might have more of a ...
- 9,166
7
votes
Question about legal usage of stock and photos with attribution
If photo is royalty-free and requires one-time purchase, can I take picture with camera of my screen and use it without paying for it?
No.
If stock and non-stock photo was taken from certain ...
- 169
7
votes
When do I have to give credit for the arrangement of photo I took?
I'm not a lawyer, but it seems unlikely that the photographer has a strong legal claim in the absence of special circumstances — just like the bride's hairdresser probably also can't demand credit. ...
- 140k
7
votes
Why place camera inside box, during court?
This is largely a historical artifact. Older cameras not only had noticeable shutter sounds, but also an annoying ratcheting sound as the film was advanced, and due to poor low light ability they ...
- 495
6
votes
Question about legal usage of stock and photos with attribution
No, of course you can't do those things. Taking a photograph of your screen is making a copy, just like using a copy machine or a scanner would be. Pay the price, or use public domain or Creative ...
- 140k
6
votes
Accepted
Model Using Photographs Without Permission?
Consent is necessary. Unless otherwise agreed, the photographs are the intellectual property of the photographer.
In Getty's model release, the model even agrees that he/she has no rights to the ...
- 1,022
6
votes
Accepted
Is it legal to resell prints after framing them?
Yes, this is legal under the doctrine of first sale. In general, under the law, distribution is an exclusive right of the copyright holder. However, this is a specific exception, where "the owner of a ...
- 140k
6
votes
Do I need consent prior to posting pictures on social media?
It depends.
What legal jurisdiction are you publishing them from as well as in what legal jurisdiction were the photos produced? Laws vary greatly from country to country.
What type of place were you ...
- 168k
6
votes
Accepted
Do I need written consent when publishing photographs from models in Germany?
Short answer, sometimes.
If you only intend to upload them online, then you generally don't need written permission (some websites do require it though) however it can be a good idea to get permission ...
- 86
6
votes
Accepted
How can I tell if I can use a photo found on multiple websites for a personal website?
It is really very simple:
Do you own the rights to the image? If your answer is yes then you can use it for personal use. If the answer is no then see #2.
Do you have permission from the owner of the ...
- 168k
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible