WHO OWNS THE IMAGES?

[Light Artisan]

Sounds like a d-bag cousin.

 

[Chamelion 6]

I am use to using my own equipment; but my relative bought a bigger camera and wanted to get me to take images with it. If he found a job he asked me to do it, because he knows nothing about photography. Yet, when we discussed the images, he said they all belonged to him because it was his camera..Ummm, I did not like that sentiment so I have decided not to work with him like that. I am use to owning my own images because I sweat to do them. Then he wanted to pay me 50% of everything just because it was his camera. Again, I am use to getting 100% of my own productions.

I think you made a wise decision. Technically, by contracting you to shoot for him and providing you with the equipment he can make a case that you are simply an employee hired for the purpose of taking the pictures. At that point he would be the owner of the images.

You might still win, but I wouldn't bank of fighting a court case with little more than principal in your corner. If he doesn't agree to your terms, don't do the shoot. If he does agree, put it in writing and both of you sign it. Then if it goes to court you can demonstrate what the agreement was and not have to try to pursuade a jury.

 

[Rekd]

Person that takes the photo does, unless otherwise under contract to shoot for hire.

Paint a picture with my brushes and let me put ©2010 VI™ on the back.

But if you take me to court you can't prove that I used YOUR brush where if I take you to court and the metadata shows that my name, then I have 99% chance of winning. Of course unless a contract was signed. But the OP never mentioned anything about that. Remember, you're comparing apples to oranges. With a camera, it's data, with a brush it's "you said I said".

For the longest time, a certain branch of the government that I happen to work for was not allowed to digitize images because it was ruled that the images could be manipulated, so instead we had to film them and use microfilm and microfiche.

EXIF is the same way. I could probably pretty easily take a photo of yours from Flickr and change the data to say I took the picture yesterday and it's copyrighted by me.

Hell, I could easily still unregistered copyright images from all over the web and register them as copyrighted by me.

Unfortunately, it would be all too easy.

Yeah, but the image that you took off the web was formatted for the web, and resized. When I show up in court with the original image that's not cropped and is at a higher resolution, you lose.

 

[Bitter Jeweler]

Armchair lawyer threads, Wheeeeeeee!

 

[Rekd]

Armchair lawyer threads, Wheeeeeeee!

That whole bringing the original image to court argument doesn't require a lawyer. In fact, it usually doesn't even require an appearance in court.

 

[vtf]

Its easy to say let's go to court, its harder to pay the lawyer fees and convince them its worth it. Cut losses, move on and learn.

 

[mrpink]

Armchair lawyer threads, Wheeeeeeee!

everyone is a lawyer on the internet Bitter.

To the OP. I would have formatted the card right in front of him and handed it back. If someone builds a house using my hammer, I do not own the house.








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