Legal Issues - - Copyright again

bcarll · #1 12-10-2006, 09:29 AM

Well the copyright issue will always be one to be discussed whether here or in other forums. It still remains a gray area in my mind but I try to think about it like this -- everything has an owner. Would I borrow something from my neighbor without asking such as a rake or mower? The answer is no of course so is this how we should look at photos? Well yes to a certain degree but for us doing restoration work is it really an issue? The owner of the photo has asked us to restore their photo. It is their property isn't it and we are not doing anything to the original so are we violating any copyright issues? I was given a WW2 classbook with pics from 1944 in it to duplicate a soldiers photo and colorize it. Local retail photo palces would not do it due to copyright issues so was I wrong to do this for this family and provide them with a photo of their loved one? How about seeing a great background shot in a magazine that you know someday you could use - is it OK to use that or how about a background from a catalog of backgrounds? I 'm very new to this restoration work and want ot get started off right so this is very interesting what others are doing with these copyright issues. I would not take a photo of a photographer and manipulate it say changing a background and then sell it for profit. That does go over the top but what if you do it for someone else and they profit from it. Now you are part of the equation aren't you violating copyright laws. Well it would be hard to have all my questions answered here but this is at least a start. I consider myself a moral person and would not knowingly break a law but how hard to know if you are or not when the law is not black and white.

bcarll

Mike · #2 12-10-2006, 09:50 AM

Copy right laws change from country to country, which one are you in?

bcarll · #3 12-10-2006, 11:01 AM

I live in the USA
bcarll

Mike · #4 12-10-2006, 10:03 PM

A quick check on google resulted in:

http://www.copyright.gov/

Try the FAQ section.

The answers to a good many of your questions can be found there. A good many of the time factors are clearly stated and are not to hard to find.

I would not rely on legal advice from photo finishers (or perhaps on even members of this forum

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