Copyright questions

[Aze]

What about the postmark? It would still be there...

There is no law that says I cannot mail myself an empty envelope. And if it's empty, there isn't much point in sealing it, is there?

I would then have a postmarked, unsealed, and empty envelope.

What stops me from putting a CD in it and sealing it?

This is the #1 way of faking a poor-man copyright. Courts understand this very well. I have yet to find a poor-man copyright case that held up in court.

 

[thebutler4]

What about the postmark? It would still be there...

There is no law that says I cannot mail myself an empty envelope. And if it's empty, there isn't much point in sealing it, is there?

I would then have a postmarked, unsealed, and empty envelope.

What stops me from putting a CD in it and sealing it?

What they are saying is you don't open the envelope till your standing in front of the judge in court.

 

[Aze]

Yes, but how does the judge know you didn't just mail an empty envelope to get the date stamp and then shove the CD, photo, essay, etc... into the envelope and seal it 15 minutes before your court case?

The courts have spoken. The poor man copyright is not a viable legal defense.

 

[thebutler4]

Well .. I guess if you are a POS and want to try and steel other people work than this would be an issue.

 

[KmH]

Well .. I guess if you are a POS and want to try and steel (steal) other people work than(then) this would be an issue.

There is only one sure way to keep your photos from being stolen off the Internet.

Don't put them on the Internet.

 

[Rekd]

What about the postmark? It would still be there...

There is no law that says I cannot mail myself an empty envelope. And if it's empty, there isn't much point in sealing it, is there?

I would then have a postmarked, unsealed, and empty envelope.

What stops me from putting a CD in it and sealing it?

This is the #1 way of faking a poor-man copyright. Courts understand this very well. I have yet to find a poor-man copyright case that held up in court.

Makes sense. So if it's a matter of proving the photo is yours, why not just crop it before you release it. That way when some guy says he took the picture then can't produce the rest of the picture like you can he loses his claim, even if it won't prove you did take it, at least you have more of it them the other guy.

(Ok, that sounded confusing and bordering on the idiotic, even to me. :shrugs: ) :lmao:

 

[thebutler4]

Well .. I guess if you are a POS and want to try and steel (steal) other people work than(then) this would be an issue.

There is only one sure way to keep your photos from being stolen off the Internet.

Don't put them on the Internet.

Got a point .. but whats the fun in that? .. lol ..

Thats like saying .. if you never want a computer virus never turn on your computer .. lol .. its true .. but not much fun

 

[skieur]

It is interesting that it is often the beginners that get hyper about copyright. Your photo might be stolen off the Internet and used in someone's web site, but unless the infringer is making a lot of money from it, then it may not be worth it going after him. It is offensive and highly annoying, but the answer may be to go after the Internet provider, send a cease and desist order, or send an invoice to him.

Some photographers are careful concerning which photos they post on the Internet and never post their best work.

skieur

 

[Rekd]

Some photographers are careful concerning which photos they post on the Internet and never post their best work.

skieur

^^^This.

(Sorry pal, I had to agree with you on this one. :greenpbl: )

On another note, some people have to post their stuff on the net to make money on it. In those cases you have to decide whether they're costing you enough in lost revenue (i.e. better Google placement than yours so you lose advertising). I see some of my stuff around leach sites if I look.

So far I haven't bothered with anything more than a friendly poke with minor threats. And since it takes a lot to get Corporate's attention enough for them to put the legal team on it, often times just emailing the leach on a company letterhead from a company email address gets the point across if they're an insignificant site.

If you sell prints you may not want to put them on the web at all. Or if you're just in it for the hobby/art portion of it. But then you can't show the world your mad photog skillz so it's basically up to you.

 

[kundalini]

Lots of chatter. Didn't read any of it in this thread. Listen to this interview. It is appropriate to copyright.

Bonus: Interview with Copyright Attorney Ed Greenberg | Photoshop User TV

 

[Josh66]

Well .. I guess if you are a POS and want to try and steel other people work than this would be an issue.

It's not about being a POS (for the record, I would never do that - even if I was a POS )... I'm just saying that 'mailing yourself a letter' is EXTREMELY easy to fake. I can't see how it could possibly prove anything in court.


You can mail a lot of 'non-standard' things, as long as you have proper postage. For example, I could mail myself a blank piece of paper (unfolded, no envelope). Later, I could type or print whatever I want on it. What would having a postmarked sheet of paper prove?

All I see it proving is that you wasted a stamp on a sheet of paper...

Hell, you could even mail yourself a blank CD - no packaging, just a CD, bare. Write whatever you want on it later.