What are my rights to old photos?

This is actually a copyright and ownership question, but I'm posting it here
because this is the most heavily trafficked photo newsgroup.

Friends of ours called me with some surprise to say that while they were at
a local chain restaurant they noticed some old photos on the wall near their
table. When they took a closer look they discovered that they were photos
from my old high school, some of which were of plays which were done while I
was there. While I'm not sure yet, I'm concerned that some of these may be
photos that I took while I was there. Not only was I in a few of these
plays, but I also took many photos during informal and dress rehearsals. In
some cases the school asked if they could use some of my work for things
like posters and the yearbooks, but in no cases did I ever turn over the
negatives to them for their ownership. If I find that the high school gave
this restaurant permission to use some reproduced photos for which I still
own the negatives of (yes, this is before the days of digital, I'm sorry),
do I have any rights as the original holder of these images?

In article Uaeck.166$0V1.104@trndny01, none wrote:

This is actually a copyright and ownership question, but I'm posting it here
because this is the most heavily trafficked photo newsgroup.

actually, you might try misc.legal, since this issue has more to do
with copyrights than it does photography, so i set the followup
accordingly.

based on your description below, it sounds like it's worth at least
finding out what your options are. i'd suggest you contact a qualified
attorney who deals with these types of cases. most will offer a free
initial consultation, where you can find out if it's worth pursuing.

legal advice from a newsgroup is worth what you pay for it (arguably
less), since a qualified lawyer will tell you call one and discuss
specifics and a non-lawyer will probably get some things (if not a lot
of things) wrong.

Friends of ours called me with some surprise to say that while they were at
a local chain restaurant they noticed some old photos on the wall near their
table. When they took a closer look they discovered that they were photos
from my old high school, some of which were of plays which were done while I
was there. While I'm not sure yet, I'm concerned that some of these may be
photos that I took while I was there. Not only was I in a few of these
plays, but I also took many photos during informal and dress rehearsals. In
some cases the school asked if they could use some of my work for things
like posters and the yearbooks, but in no cases did I ever turn over the
negatives to them for their ownership. If I find that the high school gave
this restaurant permission to use some reproduced photos for which I still
own the negatives of (yes, this is before the days of digital, I'm sorry),
do I have any rights as the original holder of these images?

[rpd added back.]

nospam wrote:
In article Uaeck.166$0V1.104@trndny01, none wrote:

This is actually a copyright and ownership question, but I'm posting it here
because this is the most heavily trafficked photo newsgroup.

actually, you might try misc.legal, since this issue has more to do
with copyrights than it does photography, so i set the followup
accordingly.

Well, that's plain wrong. X-posting is a better way, but sending it off
to a group unknown and unused by 99.6% of the folks here is uninformed.

based on your description below, it sounds like it's worth at least
finding out what your options are. i'd suggest you contact a qualified
attorney who deals with these types of cases. most will offer a free
initial consultation, where you can find out if it's worth pursuing.

legal advice from a newsgroup is worth what you pay for it (arguably
less), since a qualified lawyer will tell you call one and discuss
specifics and a non-lawyer will probably get some things (if not a lot
of things) wrong.

Friends of ours called me with some surprise to say that while they were at
a local chain restaurant they noticed some old photos on the wall near their
table. When they took a closer look they discovered that they were photos
from my old high school, some of which were of plays which were done while I
was there. While I'm not sure yet, I'm concerned that some of these may be
photos that I took while I was there. Not only was I in a few of these
plays, but I also took many photos during informal and dress rehearsals. In
some cases the school asked if they could use some of my work for things
like posters and the yearbooks, but in no cases did I ever turn over the
negatives to them for their ownership. If I find that the high school gave
this restaurant permission to use some reproduced photos for which I still
own the negatives of (yes, this is before the days of digital, I'm sorry),
do I have any rights as the original holder of these images?

John McWilliams wrote:
[rpd added back.]

nospam wrote:
In article Uaeck.166$0V1.104@trndny01, none wrote:

This is actually a copyright and ownership question, but I'm posting
it here because this is the most heavily trafficked photo newsgroup.

actually, you might try misc.legal, ...

If the photog kept the negatives that doesn't sound like 'work for hire'
and the default is that the photog owns the copyright. I doubt it's
worth suing anyone but you could certainly approach the restaurant with
this claim and ask for credit and or payment. They may not take it
seriously but the copyright ownership seems pretty simple with negatives
in hand. Maybe offer a better selection of interesting prints to give
them a reason to not just be upset that they ended up buying copyright
material illegally because without substantial money not much is going
to happen here. It might be interesting to track down how the photos got
there.

(not a lawyer :-)

based on your description below, it sounds like it's worth at least
finding out what your options are. i'd suggest you contact a qualified
attorney who deals with these types of cases. most will offer a free
initial consultation, where you can find out if it's worth pursuing.
legal advice from a newsgroup is worth what you pay for it (arguably
less), since a qualified lawyer will tell you call one and discuss
specifics and a non-lawyer will probably get some things (if not a lot
of things) wrong.
Friends of ours called me with some surprise to say that while they
were at a local chain restaurant they noticed some old photos on the
wall near their table. When they took a closer look they discovered
that they were photos from my old high school, some of which were of
plays which were done while I was there. While I'm not sure yet, I'm
concerned that some of these may be photos that I took while I was
there. Not only was I in a few of these plays, but I also took many
photos during informal and dress rehearsals. In some cases the school
asked if they could use some of my work for things like posters and
the yearbooks, but in no cases did I ever turn over the negatives to
them for their ownership. If I find that the high school gave this
restaurant permission to use some reproduced photos for which I still
own the negatives of (yes, this is before the days of digital, I'm
sorry), do I have any rights as the original holder of these images?


--
Paul Furman
www.edgehill.net
www.baynatives.com

all google groups messages filtered due to spam

none wrote:
This is actually a copyright and ownership question, but I'm posting it here
because this is the most heavily trafficked photo newsgroup.

Friends of ours called me with some surprise to say that while they were at
a local chain restaurant they noticed some old photos on the wall near their
table. When they took a closer look they discovered that they were photos
from my old high school, some of which were of plays which were done while I
was there. While I'm not sure yet, I'm concerned that some of these may be
photos that I took while I was there. Not only was I in a few of these
plays, but I also took many photos during informal and dress rehearsals. In
some cases the school asked if they could use some of my work for things
like posters and the yearbooks, but in no cases did I ever turn over the
negatives to them for their ownership. If I find that the high school gave
this restaurant permission to use some reproduced photos for which I still
own the negatives of (yes, this is before the days of digital, I'm sorry),
do I have any rights as the original holder of these images?


Probably. Should you find a picture that you took, and for which you
still have the negative, I am sure the restaurant would be more than
willing to take down that (those) image(s). But wouldn't it be better
to just show them the negative, and ask them to put a sticker on it
saying that you graciously allowed them to use the image? Then everyone
wins.

In message , Paul Furman
writes
John McWilliams wrote:
[rpd added back.]
nospam wrote:
In article Uaeck.166$0V1.104@trndny01, none wrote:

This is actually a copyright and ownership question, but I'm
posting it here because this is the most heavily trafficked photo
newsgroup.

When you do PLEASE state which country. I know local law but not foreign
stuff.


actually, you might try misc.legal, ...

If the photog kept the negatives that doesn't sound like 'work for
hire' and the default is that the photog owns the copyright. I doubt
it's worth suing anyone but you could certainly approach the restaurant
with this claim and ask for credit and or payment.

Or a bit of free food... Especially as you are likely to tell others
about your pictures and they will get a little increased trade anyway.

They may not take it seriously but the copyright ownership seems pretty
simple with negatives in hand. Maybe offer a better selection of
interesting prints

Good idea. Turn it positive. Use them as a gallery.. Prints some cards
so any diners can find about you and your other prints. BTW if this is
a local restaurant you may be able to sell prints to others who were at
the school or in the plays

to give them a reason to not just be upset that they ended up buying
copyright material illegally because without substantial money not much
is going to happen here. It might be interesting to track down how the
photos got there.

I agree the route might make an interesting storey work *WITH* the
restaurant for local press item. "Photographer discovers archive
pictures in ******* restaurant. "

Nice piece of local history advertising for restaurant and you. Gloss
over any breach of copyright as you are all friends now. Gives
restaurant a theme, local history, more diners and give them a
commission on selling any of the prints.

Turn breach of copyright into something productive for all

Otherwise see press and have reporter on hand when you demand back the
pictures that are in breach of copyright etc and give them some bad
publicity locally. :-)

But do make sure you have the "disputed" prints displayed either in a
"gallery" else where in town or on your web site so that when people
see one of them in the press with the story they want to see others.

You win again and without courts or solicitors. :-)





--
\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
\/\/\/\/\ Chris Hills Staffs England /\/\/\/\/
\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

"none" wrote in news:Uaeck.166$0V1.104@trndny01:
I'm
sorry), do I have any rights as the original holder of these images?

a) Depends on where you live and what the local laws say about it. You
know, for example Sweden and China may have different copyright laws.

b) Depends on what you really have agreed with the high school. Negatives
and their ownership have nothing to do with anything.


--
Matti Vuori, http://www.kotiposti.net/~xmvuori/index-e.htm

none wrote:
This is actually a copyright and ownership question, but I'm posting it here
because this is the most heavily trafficked photo newsgroup.

Friends of ours called me with some surprise to say that while they were at
a local chain restaurant they noticed some old photos on the wall near their
table. When they took a closer look they discovered that they were photos
from my old high school, some of which were of plays which were done while I
was there. While I'm not sure yet, I'm concerned that some of these may be
photos that I took while I was there. Not only was I in a few of these
plays, but I also took many photos during informal and dress rehearsals. In
some cases the school asked if they could use some of my work for things
like posters and the yearbooks, but in no cases did I ever turn over the
negatives to them for their ownership. If I find that the high school gave
this restaurant permission to use some reproduced photos for which I still
own the negatives of (yes, this is before the days of digital, I'm sorry),
do I have any rights as the original holder of these images?




Wouldn't the best thing to be to first examine the photos, see whether you
still actually have negatives if they are yours and then make a decision?
It isn't as though you are losing huge amounts in royalties, in fact it all
sounds a rather eager and a little petty. There may be a great many other
people with legitimate photos of your high school taken while you were a
student. It would be amazing if there were no other photos, particularly of
plays. People like to record such things.

I do not know what privacy laws apply where you live, I am only familiar
with Australia and parts of Western Europe, but is a high school regarded
as public property for the purposes of taking photographs? It might be the
case that in order to assert copyright you will need to provide an original
authority?

Secret Squirrel


--

Ingrid Rose

clandestin.ecureuil(insert missing symbol here)gmail.com

On Mon, 07 Jul 2008 18:12:49 +1000, clandestin_écureuil
wrote:

none wrote:
This is actually a copyright and ownership question, but I'm posting it here
because this is the most heavily trafficked photo newsgroup.

Friends of ours called me with some surprise to say that while they were at
a local chain restaurant they noticed some old photos on the wall near their
table. When they took a closer look they discovered that they were photos
from my old high school, some of which were of plays which were done while I
was there. While I'm not sure yet, I'm concerned that some of these may be
photos that I took while I was there.

Wouldn't the best thing to be to first examine the photos, see whether you
still actually have negatives if they are yours and then make a decision?
It isn't as though you are losing huge amounts in royalties, in fact it all
sounds a rather eager and a little petty.

A *little* petty? Sounds a lot petty to me.



--
Tony Cooper - Orlando, Florida

none wrote:

do I have any rights as the original holder of these images?

In the US, they are the property of the shooter unless:

- contractually assigned to someone else
- somebody has registered the work (copyright registration)

Having the negatives is a strong case of ownership.

In Canada, they are the property of whoever pays for the shoot unless
contractually assigned to the photographer (or anyone else)

UK, Europe, Mongolia, etc.,... each place has its own copyright laws.


--
-- r.p.e.35mm user resource: http://www.aliasimages.com/rpe35mmur.htm
-- r.p.d.slr-systems: http://www.aliasimages.com/rpdslrsysur.htm
-- [SI] gallery & rulz: http://www.pbase.com/shootin
-- e-meil: Remove FreeLunch.