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Photo copyrights
jos - 25/10/06 at 08:07 AM

If somebody takes a photo of somebody, whos owns the copyright to that photo? The person who took the photo or the subject of the photo. Does the person or people in the photo have any rights to the photo if the photographer has copyright??

If a different somebody is paid to take a photo of somebody who owns the copyright then???

Marcus - 25/10/06 at 08:12 AM

AFAIK, the person who took the photo has copyright (or the paparazzi would be out of a job!).

Aboardman - 25/10/06 at 08:13 AM

http://www.copyrightservice.co.uk/protect/p16_photography_copyright

iank - 25/10/06 at 08:18 AM

Not a lawyer, but I think it works something like this:

quote:

If somebody takes a photo of somebody, whos owns the copyright to that photo? The person who took the photo or the subject of the photo. Does the person or people in the photo have any rights to the photo if the photographer has copyright??


If the camera somebody is standing on public property (i.e. a road or pavement) it's the camera somebody who owns the copyright.

If they are on private property it's more complicated unless they have permission. But photo's taken by journalists in airports are owned by the photographer (or they wouldn't be there).
I don't think the person who's picture is being taken could claim the copyright.

quote:

If a different somebody is paid to take a photo of somebody who owns the copyright then???


If the person is paying them then there is going to be a contract (written or verbal) which should say explicitely who owns the copyright. Normally it will be the person with the chequebook.

DarrenW - 25/10/06 at 09:35 AM

I assume you are referring to your wedding photos Jos. It may state something about it in the small print if you hired a pro company. I seem to recall the wedding photography company own the copyright to wedding photos which means you cant copy them etc to save some cash on reprints that others may want.

jos - 25/10/06 at 10:03 AM

Thanks for that all. I had hoped it was the photographers copyright with special rights for the bill payer ie me & em, but thats not the case it seems.

Hopefully I'll be bale to get an electronic copy of most if not all the photos that go into our album, and with a bit of luck i'll be able to get digital copies of most if not all the photos available.

I completely understand the need for the photographer to earn some extra cash from additional prints and that if he gives me an electronic copy he might miss out on some cash but we'll keep the digital copies for ourselves for our reference.

Fred W B - 25/10/06 at 11:10 AM

My photographer had a clause that he kept the original negs/data for a year, after which they became mine.

Regards

Fred W B

DarrenW - 25/10/06 at 11:37 AM

At least you have some pics Jos. Our photographer was crap. The pics were so bad we refused to pay for them but kept the proofs.
A few months later we advertised our car in Autotrader - guess who cam out to take the pic

Hellfire - 25/10/06 at 03:19 PM

quote:
Originally posted by DarrenW
At least you have some pics Jos. Our photographer was crap. The pics were so bad we refused to pay for them but kept the proofs.
A few months later we advertised our car in Autotrader - guess who cam out to take the pic


As it's your car - you own the copyright! I guess the photo of the car was crap too...?

Stv

NB: All images taken and/or edited by me with permission remain my property unless I give written permission to use them. This includes website, personal or commercial. The company I work for, have excellent lawyers on retention for the sole purpose of enforcing copyright theft.

Steve