--> Site Policy on Celebrity Images <---

[DannyRaphael]

See next post...

[DannyRaphael]

IN A NUTSHELL: Per site owner directive, please do not upload or link to celebrity images. This includes ones that have been retouched or converted to paintings, sketches, etc.

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DETAILS

Background for those not overly familiar with RetouchPRO
Doug Nelson is the owner/administrator of RetouchPRO. He built it, installs/maintains/modifies & upgrades the software and pays site operational costs.

A few years ago Doug entrusted me to oversee (modrate) the Photo-Based Art forum (the one you're in at the moment), which was new at the time. Since then he has pretty much let me manage this make-images-look-arty forum as I saw fit. Believe me, having a boss - even an Internet one - who doesn't question or micro-manage every single decision you make is a rare privilege.

Besides RetouchPRO, Doug has a real life including a family plus he does editing and free-lance writing on the side. Bottom line: He's a pretty busy guy.

Because of his other comments, primary interests in retouching and restoration (R&R) and presumably trust in yours truly, he checks in on the Photo-Based Art less frenquently than he does the forums more closely related to R&R.

What's up with "celebrity" threads
Anyway, a little over a year ago in an effort to "try something new" in the photo art forum I began posting images of celebrities for manipulation. Although these threads proved to be popular among members, they went unnoticed (or at least unmentioned) by Doug until January 2006, at which time he contacted me and raised concerns over copyright issues.

Side note: Although the celibrity images posted for manipulation came from pubic sites and were not specifically prohibited for use on a site like RetouchPRO for entertainment and educational purposes, the people portrayed in those images -- even though very public figures -- still retain copyright to their own images. I was wrong in assuming that these images were not covered by copyright protection because their sources were "free download" Internet sites.

In other words RetouchPRO is one Tom Cruise lawsuit away from being shutdown forever. But keep the big picture in mind: Not manipulating unreleased images is the right thing to do.

For all the legalize see: http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/copothr.html

To make a long story short back in January Doug intended for me to delete the celebrity threads then, but I misinterpreted what he wrote to mean, "Don't start any more celebrity threads." This was a classic example of the limitations of written communication. I just didn't get it.

After revisiting the issue with Doug this weekend I now understand he wants no celebrity images (or images of any kind without owner permission) posted at RetouchPRO. As such, I've deleted all the previous celebrity threads.

So, that's the deal...

In the big scheme of things I don't see this as a bad nor restrictive policy. How many of us will ever actually be commissioned to manipulate celebrity images anyway? We might as well work on/practice on images of "real people" that are representative of future clients, right? And, if this policy removes the likelihood of future legal litigation against RetouchPRO (translation: Doug and/or me, by association), who can argue with that? I sure can't.

And if you want to manipulate celibrity images, go for it. Just don't post 'em here!

Finally, I want to take a moment to apologize to member Cat(herine) Bounds, whose recent "Jude Law" thread caught Doug's eye. While awaiting for Doug's clarification on this matter, I closed that thread and ultimately zapped it. "Jude" was another dynimite job, Cat and you did nothing wrong, per se.

Onward and upward...

Comments and questions are welcome.

[byRo]

Adding a link to the site FAQ on the subject.

http://www.retouchpro.com/forums/faq..._copyright_faq

I'd like to second the apologies to Cat (a.k.a. Raniday) - what a shame, that was one of your best paintings yet. (well worth a visit to Cat's gallery at Pbase).

Rô

[raniday]

Thank you both, gentlemen.