copyright
-
where can I find basic rules about copyrights? Say, if I want to copy and publish a photo taken from the local newspaper into one of my own posts to highlight a particular topic, how can I know for sure I’m not infringing on anyone’s copyrights? And how do I go about asking permission to use that photo?
I’ve read a little about copyrights but it’s all US info. I live in Canada. Would that still apply?The blog I need help with is: (visible only to logged in users)
-
Copyright is fairly uniform worldwide, at least on the general rules. These are essential reading:
http://www.templetons.com/brad/copymyths.html
http://www.copylaw.com/new_articles/copy_myths.htmlIn short: you have to get permission before publishing anything created by someone else. That can be hard to do, even impossible, but it’s what the law says.
-
I expect they are quite similar, but I don’t know that for sure.
Did you do an internet search for “Canadian copyright laws?”
Generally you would need to contact the copyright owner. Sometimes that might be the paper itself, and sometimes it might be the photographer if it was taken by a freelancer. You will just have to do some checking around. Perhaps contact the paper.
-
-
-
Okay one more question please… would there be any problem if the name of the photographer is attached to the photo? That is, if I give the proper credit as to where the photo comes from, does that make a difference?
-
Most people won’t mind just as long as you link back and say their name. Just as long as they don’t file one of these, then you’ll be fine. >> http://automattic.com/dmca/
-
…would there be any problem if the name of the photographer is attached to the photo? That is, if I give the proper credit as to where the photo comes from, does that make a difference?
Honestly, the only person who can answer that question is the photographer whose work you want to use.
The rule I use? Ask first, give credit later.
-
-
Before I pulled my best photos off of the internet, I had a strong copyright notice informing people that they would need to have permission, all rights reserved, etc. My photos ended up as headers on numerous sites, several with a credit and a link back to my site, but they never asked. After contacting all of them with DMCA violation notices, the 4 that said in effect, “I won’t take it down, I gave you credit and that is all I have to do” lost their websites because I then filed the DMCA violation notice with their web hosts. I asked the web hosts to remove my images, but the web hosts decided to go all the way and delete the sites and the associated accounts.
Never, ever assume anything when it comes to copyright.
-
Wow, interesting topic, thanks lilyinthecity. This is something that I have run into on occasion over the years, and I’ve always cited my sources.
However, unless it’s something big, say from the New Yorker, Atlantic Monthly, a major newspaper, something like that, I have run into trouble getting permission. My feeling being that primarily, I’m just a very small fish in an enormous pond.
I have found that most of the contemporary (living) authors I’ve tried to quote will give me permission if I have chosen to use a passage from one of their books, some even have their own websites, they are the easy ones, with some you have to contact their publisher’s, pain in the (oh SO) bureaucratic neck.
Again, if you can reach them I have found generally that the actual author has no problem with the use of their work as long as you cite it in your piece. I have often been asked to submit what I am writing to them, because they want to read what context, conTENT, etc…I’m using it in. I can’t blame them really, and I just look at it as a way to get a connected, published author to read my work, so I gladly comply.
Also, some papers and magazines have actual departments that you can contact for copyright information. There are forms to fill out, etc, it can take a while, but better than not doing it. Credibility is everything. I can’t imagine why it would differ in Canada, but I can’t say that with authority, I’d start by using the same methods of contact to attempt to gain permission and go from there.
Much luck to you. -
Thank you thesacredpath and trilbyhart for sharing your experiences on this. It helps a lot.
- The topic ‘copyright’ is closed to new replies.
WordPress.com Forums 