Who owns the Copyright of a Photograph?
• A photograph is classed as a Work of Art
• The Photographer who created the picture owns The Copyright of the image.
• Or a Company owns it if the Photographer is in the employment of that company, and takes the photograph as a part of his/her contractual duties.
How would we infringe the Copyright of a Photograph?
• By Copying it.
• If we copy a photograph in any manner (download, photocopy, re-photograph it, scan it…etc) we are infringing the photographers Copyright, and thereby breaking the law.
How can we legally copy Photographic Images?
• By gaining permission to do so from the photographer.
• If we cannot find who the photographer is after exhaustive searches, backed up by legal proof of search, then legal judgment can be made to class the photograph as ‘An Orphan Work’, thereby giving a company or individual copyright of the image. (until the creator of the image comes forth with proof of creation of the Work of Art.)
How long does copyright of a Photograph last?
• For 70 years beginning at the end of the year of the Photographer’s death.
How can we protect our own images from being copied and used commercially?
• By watermarking images that are to be in the public domain.
• By ensuring that if your images are in the public domain they are traceable back to you.
Disney: Stitch
