A legal (and moral) question about found film

[Shakespeare]

I buy and sell used camera equipment on a very small scale (garage sales and craigslist). Over the year, I've found about 10 rolls of film that people have left in the camera. Often I have no way of returning it to them, as I don't get around to cleaning the cameras for a while and forget who I bought it from (or find the film in a camera from Goodwill).

Curiosity makes it hard for me to throw it out (see: the guy who found the WWI prints in a camera recently...not that I think there will be anything that important). But if I get it developed, is it an invasion of privacy? And what if there's something illegal on it, will I get in trouble, or could I be the link that catches the perpetrator?

I'm sure some of you have found film. What did you do?

S

 

[Mully]

I would throw it away..... probably little risk unless it was child porn and the local processor calls the police on you but it is probably snapshots that have no value to you

 

[KmH]

But if I get it developed, is it an invasion of privacy? Probably not
And what if there's something illegal on it, will I get in trouble, Possibly
or could I be the link that catches the perpetrator? Possibly

Without specifics, any here can only guess.

Develop the film yourself and go from there. If my only option was to send the film out for developing, I wouldn't.

But as Mully suggests, images on those rolls of film are likely just snap shots that only have value to whoever tripped the shutter.

The chance images on the film relate to illegal activity or depict child porn is likely to fall somewhere between nil and none, but much closer to none than to nil.

 

[Tony S]

I'm on the curiosity side and would get it developed, make notes on what cameras they came from. There may be some gems or images of historical significance, probably mostly duds. Might be a wall hanger or two which you could hang as long as you don't try to sell it. Just never try to pass them off as ones you've taken.

If by some chance there was something illegal you found on it, make a phone call to the proper authorities and let them take care of it from there.

 

[Overread]

Surely if you bought the camera the film is now yours - you can burn it or develop it or sell it on to anyone else if you want to. I would say get the film developed - either locally or at home and see what comes out.

From there you can do what you want - considering that you've an interest in finding old film cameras why not consider starting up a flickr account (or a facebook thingy) and post up scanned digital copies of the photos that you find on the film (as complete as you can provided that nothing "Risky" or illegal is shown). Mark the camera, where you bought it from and any other details you can and then just see what happens - remember to tag the photos with relevant tags.

At worst you'll be showing some lost photos in an editorial nature - at best you might just find some of the original owners and get some more details for the photos.

 

[CCericola]

Get it developed. even snap shots are a record of how things were. Just because they are not photos of WWI doesn't mean they don't have value. They might be interesting some day.

 

[CowgirlMama]

I'm on the curiosity side and would get it developed, make notes on what cameras they came from. There may be some gems or images of historical significance, probably mostly duds. Might be a wall hanger or two which you could hang as long as you don't try to sell it. Just never try to pass them off as ones you've taken.

If by some chance there was something illegal you found on it, make a phone call to the proper authorities and let them take care of it from there.

This might actually help you reconnect the original photographer with their lost images, too.

 

[thetrue]

I'm too curious to just toss it, and my wife is the nosiest b!tch I've ever met, so rest assured if I ever find film in a camera, it'll be getting developed.

 

[Josh66]

Develop the film yourself and go from there.

+1

I definitely wouldn't just throw it away. You never know what gems might be on there (but most likely, it's probably nothing special).

As long as you don't claim that it's anything but 'found film', I don't think you'll have any legal issues (if you wanted to sell them, that might change though). I mean, I would never try to claim copyright on found film, but I wouldn't hesitate to develop it and/or display it, if there was something interesting on it. And like Tony S said, the photos may identify the owner.

edit
Assuming there was kiddie porn or something on it (HIGHLY unlikely, but you never know), I'm sure the authorities would have no reason to question you after you told them it was found film in a camera you bought. In that (unlikely) situation, I'd expect them to confiscate the film and do some sort of investigation. I don't really see how they could imply that YOU did anything wrong.

 

[Justman1020]

My vote is also develop. I'm to curious not to go that course.

 

[brian_f2.8]

I would say they are useless snap shots as already mention and here is why, if they were professional shots the professional would have used them. Chances are you might get a great shot of an old car, grand canyon, a sunset but you are taking a risk at illegal activity.
Throw them out n go to Starbucks.

 

[Overread]

I don't see how developing film that you've legally bought and own is in any way an illegal activity. You've bought it - its yours now


Also there have been a great many photos found in the undeveloped masses of some photographers and random collections. I recall a big story a year or so ago about a woman who lived a very ordinary life and who went out regularly to take photos. The flat/apartment she lived in was filled with boxes of undeveloped and developed film and photos - many of which were found to be of very good quality. There was a bit of a noise about it in the media at the time of the finding (after she'd passed on and someone had - out of interest - developed the photos).


Also don't forget that a great many old interesting photos are nothing more than the snapshots of their time - time changes things a lot and what were once just snapshots can be very interesting to historians and those looking into the past. Maybe they show an old street as it was - or an old factory working or even just photso of people themselves show the shifts in appearance, dress, fashion, health etc....

Yeah chances are you could get rubbish - I know if they came from my families archive of point and shoot disposable cameras you'll end up with half of each roll being "is there any film left in it - snap - take a picture of the ceiling to find out" style. Fact is you won't "KNOW" until you look.

 

[Justman1020]

If you don't want to develop them mail them to me. I will develop them scan them and upload them.

 

[Chris R]

Surely if you bought the camera the film is now yours - you can burn it or develop it or sell it on to anyone else if you want to. I would say get the film developed - either locally or at home and see what comes out.

This exactly. You bought the camera. If the previous owner (unknowingly?) included the film, it's yours. You own it, and more than likely they couldn't care less about the film. Personally, I'd start a website or flickr pool to put them in. I think a "photos I found on old film cameras" gallery would be quite interesting.

 

[jwbryson1]

Honestly, this is all that matters....:mrgreen: