Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2001/03/12
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Marc, Unfortunately for you, if your photo was used by the newspaper for "editorial use", then it falls under the US Copyright Law's "Fair Use" doctrine which allows publication of the photograph for "...purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, or research". If that was how it was used, you have no legal standing against the newspaper's use of it. If, on the other hand, the drummer paid for a display advertisement in the magazine/newspaper, to advertise himself or his band, then that is a copyright infringement and you have grounds to sue the drummer, especially if you only granted him rights for publishing "fliers". To fully protect yourself, get a rubber stamp made or affix a sticker to the back of your photos describing the reproduction rights that have been granted or reproduction rights that are prohibited. You should also state on each image, that upon publication, the photo must contain a credit line which includes your name, date the image was first produced, and the copyright symbol. Even though it is not required by law that they appear in order to protect your copyright, they do go a long way in preventing further infringements by other parties who believe the photo is in the public domain. I once protected a famous and valuable photograph from being published by any media (editorial or otherwise) because publication by the media would have destroyed its resale value. That is another provision of the copyright law that is often misunderstood. In your case, publication in the newspaper did not harm the intrinsic value of the photograph. The magazine does not have to offer you anything, but I hope they will. Ask them if they can compensate you for their error in the "Mary Small" photo credit, by at least paying you their standard payment for photographers who submit unsolicited spot news photos. That would at least be something. Simmer thy testosterone and read up on the Copyright Law. This does not seem like a copyright infringement. Good Luck, Rob McElroy Buffalo, NY Marc James Small wrote: > I discovered on Thursday evening last that a local up-market newspaper had > published a picture of mine -- attributed, mind you, to one "Mary" Small -- > in an article of a local jazz drummer. This fellow has admitted giving the > magazine the picture but his comment was, "so what"? (He is a REAL > straight-shooter, no drugs, no alcohol, Thinks Good Thoughts and kayaks > down the South Slope of Mount Everest, plus he has a couple of doctrates in > optical science.) > > This fellow wanted me to shoot a CD cover. I shot several rolls of film of > him in the fall of 1998, in downtown Roanoke, with Hasselblad. He reviewed > the prints and wanted a second shoot, which I did, these being on the Blue > Ridge Parkway. These were with Leica, some with a 2.5/12.5cm Hektor, the > rest with a 2.8/90 "skinny" Tele-Elmarit. The final picture selected for > the cover was one taken with the "skinny" Tele-Elmarit. The picture > printed improperly by the magazine was the one in the first batch. > > Last year, an article about this fellow appeared in the local paper with > some of my pictures. I then fussed at him and reminded him that the B&W > work I did for him was for use in his fliers only. > > On Friday, I called the magazine. They must be used to this: they put me > through to the publisher, who was polite, took my information, and stated > he had to speak with the author and would be back in touch with me on > Monday (tomorrow, as I write these words). > > I suspect the magazine will apologize and offer a token payment. I want to > sue both the magazine and the drummer and take an ounce of their hides, but > that may just be a surplus of testosterone flocking through my blood -- as > a trial attorney, I recognize that most juries regard copyright suits as > Big Yawns. > > And, don't forget, they attributed the picture to "Mary" Small. > > Advice? > > Marc > > msmall@roanoke.infi.net FAX: +540/343-7315 > Cha robh bas fir gun ghras fir!