Page 28 - Chow LIfe - 2022 01 Spring

by Vicki DeGruy

Imagine a world where photographs were taken with person or a company, to anyone you choose, really, and
film that you had to purchase and then had to be you can spell out exactly how that image can be used,
processed and printed by a lab before they could be for how long, and how you will be compensated. This
shared. It wasn't really all that long ago but I'm sure is called licensing. You can license your image to whom
some of my readers aren't old enough to remember it. and however you want. They can use it but you still
Today we have phones (phones!) that shoot incredible retain the copyright. It is still your image.
images that can be immediately distributed to the world
(the whole world!) with the touch of a finger. I still find Once you put that image out in public view, though, like
this technology absolutely amazing. on a website, instagram, or facebook, it's vulnerable to
being copied and used by other people. Imagine taking
The internet and social media have opened up a whole a picture of your favorite dog, posting it on facebook,
new world of imagery and art to everyone, making them and a few months later it appears on a dog supply
readily available to view and appreciate. It's also made it company's website using it to advertise their products
easy to misuse and steal this same material. -- and nobody ever asked you for permission to do that.
You might be flattered, it's kind of exciting that someone
liked your picture so much that it might help them make
money. But shouldn't some of that money be coming
to -you- for the use of that image? Shouldn't they have
at least asked you for permission to use -your- picture?
Absolutely yes to both. Using your picture without your
permission is stealing it, just as if someone broke into
your house and took some of your stuff.
Let's say you're a professional photographer, like a dog
show photographer, for example. You make your living
and pay your bills by selling photos. You post your
images on a website or Facebook for your customers
to review and order. If someone copies one of those
images without buying it, what happens to your income?
Are they stealing from you? Absolutely. You can put
Let's say you've found a picture on the internet you watermarks on your images to discourage theft (a
really like and you want to use it as your cover image on watermark is another image or text overlaid on the
your Facebook page. Is it okay to do that? Most of the picture) but as we see all the time on Facebook, that
time, the answer is no, not without permission from the doesn't stop some people. It's pretty shocking how many
creator of the image. Can you get in trouble if you copy exhibitors post dog show win photos with watermarks
or use someone's image without permission? Yes, and it that come right out and say "DO NOT USE WITHOUT
might even cost you a lot of money. I'm going to explain PURCHASE" or even "THIS IMAGE IS STOLEN". Bad
why. enough that people steal from you but advertising the
Let's talk about copyright and usage rights. They are thievery adds insult to injury, doesn't it? Not to mention
the poor impression that exhibitor is making on other
two different but related things. Take a picture right people.
now with your phone. As the creator of that photo, you,
the person who took the picture, automatically own The bottom line here is that you should not use
the copyright to the photo. What can you do with your photographs or artwork that someone else created
picture? Pretty much anything you want. You can sell without their expressed permission. Don't think that
or give away copies, either via prints or digital files, even you can borrow it and they won't find out about it. You'd
make products with your photo on them. You always be surprised how word gets around these days. There
retain the image's copyright unless you specifically sell or are even agencies that help photographers track down
sign it over to someone. unauthorized uses. At the very least, you'll be billed for
it, and usually at a much higher amount than if you'd
Copyright is exclusive -- you and you alone get to decide bought the image honestly, and, you could actually be
how your image is used or reproduced. This is prosecuted for copyright infringement - because stealing
where usage rights come in. You can sell, loan, images is illegal.
or give the rights to use your picture to another
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