Question on Copyright

[susan]

I'm curious about copyrights and how you handle them with professional photographers and layouts that some of you do professionally... Do you get releases from the photographers? Do you have a standard form you use? or do some of you work as a team with the photographers?

I've been playing around and now I'm getting some requests to do wedding albums and I'd love to hear your thoughts....

[Jill]

i am not a lawyer...but from what I have heard and classes I have attended...in regards to things like wedding albums and such you do not need any kind of release from the photographer who does the photography since the couple actually owns the pictures....so to do a wedding album should be fine...but if you want to use that album as an advertising tool, I would talk to to the photographer first...(I do not think there is a photographer out there who would say dont show my work!!!), but just common courtesy would be good!

I do get releases from my clients to use the work I have done for them as samples for new clients and at shows...

Hope this helps..and good luck!!!!

[stanpix]

As a photographer I can tell you that the general rule is that if you are getting paid for it then the photographer has a right to be compensated in some form or another. Their are tons of free stock pictures out there and if in doubt , use these. :)

[Rebecca]

A nice hard question. I would say if it is for a wedding if they have the negatives then they own them. If they just had pictures sent to them I would contact the photographer. Most photographers won't have an issue with this. If you are making money off of it then the photographer might want some compensation even just a little copyright at the bottom saying pictures curtesy of so and so photography. Most photographers are willing to work with you. Now for places like Olan Mills, sears, and what not, they have this big fat copyrite to all the photos and let you know it is against the law to reproduce in any way their photos. Heck the picture people are so nervous about people getting the negatives that every month they have them locked into storage. Since I do my own photos I have yet to worry about this problem.

[susan]

Interesting takes on this since it is a very serious subject. I want to insure that I don't step over any lines, even unknowingly.

Thanks for your help