Your opinion on printing someone elses pictures

Demonid3e

Demonid3e

Suspended / Banned
Messages
733
Name
Demon
Edit My Images
Yes
I have an idea I know it might sound a bit strange to use some pictures which inspires me and print them in small 6x4 format and put them on a spare wall so everytime I see them them they would made me think of how its done and what can I make with similair setups. Whats your thoughts about it?
 
That could well infringe copyright, unless you can claim it was for educational purposes perhaps.
 
maybe cut hem out of the photo press instead
 
I don't know the law on this but surely printing off for your own use, as described by the OP, is not an issue.
 
In the same way as transferring CDs to an iPod is technically illegal, the suggested printing probably infringes the copyright laws in some way but as long as you're using them purely for your own inspiration, it's unlikely to get you into trouble. Printing A4 copies and selling them should though!
 
also internet resolution images make lousy prints
 
Although I would imagine it's technically illegal I would suggest that you are overthinking it, if you are just printing them out and sticking them on your wall who would ever know?
 
As above, but asking is polite and may bring unexpected benefits, especially when the copyright owner understands your motives. He/she may print them for you!
 
There's no such thing as "technically" illegal :lol:
 
Asking for educational purpose must be the best option. Thank you very much for your input!
 
^Demon said:
I have an idea I know it might sound a bit strange to use some pictures which inspires me and print them in small 6x4 format and put them on a spare wall so everytime I see them them they would made me think of how its done and what can I make with similair setups. Whats your thoughts about it?
Click to expand...

If they were my photographs, and I never knew, I'd be sad.
It is a breach of copyright, but more importantly, it's missing a chance to connect with the person who took them, and give them a chance to feel like someone appreciates their work.

However, as others have said it needs to be appropriate, if friends of yours see them and say 'hey they're great, can you make some for us' then you need to think, perhaps I should ask the owner for permission if you haven't done by then.
 
Double post o_O
 
^Demon said:
I have an idea I know it might sound a bit strange to use some pictures which inspires me and print them in small 6x4 format and put them on a spare wall so everytime I see them them they would made me think of how its done and what can I make with similair setups. Whats your thoughts about it?
Click to expand...
So, like 'Pinterest' but just on your wall?
 
Go for it.

I've made a scrapbook of cuttings from B&W Photography magazine, and that's a cheap way to start (cutting from mags/newspapers). OneNote is also really good for e-scrapbooking and it's easy to drag & drop photos into it. If it's something you're hoping to learn from to improve your technique/creativity, then I'd argue that's educational.
 
Just print them and get them on your wall, I wouldn't worry about copyright in this instance at all, you're just using the low-res publicly available images for personal (inspirational/eduational) use

as others have said though if there are images you find particularly inspiring it might be worth a quick email to the photographer as you might get more info/background on the image
 
one proviso being that you are limited to printing them yourself - if you try taking a stick of images to boots/tesco whatever they will probably ask for copyright holders consent
 
I've got absolutely no problem at all with the OP doing this personally but....

simon ess said:
I don't know the law on this but surely printing off for your own use, as described by the OP, is not an issue.
Click to expand...

So its ok for me to download that film off the internet and watch it because its only for my use?

Or...

The image belongs to a professional photographer who makes a living taking and selling inspirational images. Is it still ok?
 
Last edited:
You post your film on youtube I think its ok to watch it? I'm not using illigal metods to get this pictures. They are available on public website like flicker or facebook.
 
Most people would download them anyway and some of them would sell them on doggy websites as prints or gifts. The reason why I posted because I do care about others peoples work and thats why I asked other Photographers what are their thoughts on using them for educational purposes.
 
^Demon said:
You post your film on youtube I think its ok to watch it? I'm not using illigal metods to get this pictures. They are available on public website like flicker or facebook.
Click to expand...
You do know that more often than not, images on Facebook and especially flickr are usually copyrighted

^Demon said:
Most people would download them anyway and some of them would sell them on doggy websites as prints or gifts. The reason why I posted because I do care about others peoples work and thats why I asked other Photographers what are their thoughts on using them for educational purposes.
Click to expand...
I did say I personally had no problem with what you were doing, its not a judgmental thing. I was just surprised at the seemingly loosely defined copyright issues that have been stated on here.
 
According to gov.uk website it is possible to use for personal study or educational purposes. The question was whenever this my idea could count as educational or not.
 
I think you're over analysing this. I've done something similar several years ago - to date I've had no repercussions because no-one other than me knows what pictures I printed. I've not used them for any purpose other than inspiration.
I've got thousands of pictures online myself. I've no idea whatsoever if anyone has printed them out and I'm not really bothered if they have - although I'd feel quite honoured if someone was inspired by my work.
The way I look at it is - what's the worst that could happen?
 
Years ago, as kids, we'd cut pictures out of magazines, for a scrap book, or school project, it was the done thing,
and no one batted an eyelid.
This is only the electronic version of that.

Years later it's all about arse covering, copy write protection, litigation and god knows what else....
 
TBH my view on iot is if I don't want the pictures used then I don't put them online or I put a huge watermark on them.
Usually only upload small low res pictures so no problem here, if asked I normally say yes anyway
 
Cobra said:
Years ago, as kids, we'd cut pictures out of magazines, for a scrap book, or school project, it was the done thing,
and no one batted an eyelid.
This is only the electronic version of that.

Years later it's all about arse covering, copy write protection, litigation and god knows what else....
Click to expand...

There is an important legal distinction that by cutting pictures out of magazines, you were not creating new copies of those images; you were merely making use of printed images that already exist. This goes to the very heart of what copyright is about (in the Anglo-Saxon legal tradition at least): regulating who has the right to make copies of works.

[
^Demon said:
You post your film on youtube I think its ok to watch it? I'm not using illigal metods to get this pictures. They are available on public website like flicker or facebook.
Click to expand...

The licence you assign to Facebook* when you upload one of your photos permits them to create new, temporary, electronic copies for the purpose of displaying them. Otherwise it wouldn't be possible for anyone to see them. What it doesn't permit Facebook's end users to do is make their own, permanent copies of those images by printing them out.

Flickr allows its users to assign Creative Commons licences to images, but if the OP was using those, then we'd likely not be having this discussion.

Unless they are CC licensed, whether the original author of the images will be concerned about anyone printing their own copies is completely unknown. However, the default position of the law is that it's not permitted.



...and years ago (the mid-1980s) my university library had prominent reminders about taking care to respect copyright on posters next to the photocopy machines.

* you signed up for this when you agreed to FB's terms and conditions.
 
How would this be any different to teenagers putting posters on their bedroom wall or squaddies putting up centrefolds (remember those?) in their barrack rooms? Or even using net-acquired images for your desktop?

Strictly personal use and personally printed, I see no issue.
 
the first two completely different because they are using preprinted material which presumably had copyright consent to be produced - using net acquired images for your desktop is technically a violation of their copyright unless they are licenced for the purpose
 
jakeblu said:
I've got absolutely no problem at all with the OP doing this personally but....



So its ok for me to download that film off the internet and watch it because its only for my use?

Or...

The image belongs to a professional photographer who makes a living taking and selling inspirational images. Is it still ok?
Click to expand...

Actually, as a full time professional photographer, I would have no issue with this. Where I do draw the line though, is ebay sellers putting up prints of my work and selling them. I have found quite a few and what is worse, they were taken back in the days of film, on 6x7 E6 stock....so I can prove the provenance! Funny how they immediately disappear from sale if I question the seller about the picture. :punch:
 
big soft moose said:
the first two completely different because they are using preprinted material which presumably had copyright consent to be produced - using net acquired images for your desktop is technically a violation of their copyright unless they are licenced for the purpose
Click to expand...

No 'technically' about it. IT IS. It comes under the theft act and is a criminal act, not a civil one.
 
Lensflare said:
No 'technically' about it. IT IS. It comes under the theft act and is a criminal act, not a civil one.
Click to expand...
Well you learn something new everyday, I didn't realise copyright infringement of images was a criminal offence
 
Lensflare said:
No 'technically' about it. IT IS. It comes under the theft act and is a criminal act, not a civil one.
Click to expand...

well yeah , as Ruth said "technically illegal" , is like "slightly pregnant" - so yeah its illegal but in 99.9%of cases no one will ever know or care.

However copyright violation does not come under the theft act. Theft = intentionally /willfully depriving someone of their item , like if I break into your house and steal your camera ,, copyright violation is about making unauthorised copies of a picture (or video, song artwork, book etc) , and thus does not deprive the person effected of their original copy ergo its not theft.

Copyright violation comes under the copyright, designs and patents act 1988 and is generally a civil not criminal offence
 
big soft moose said:
However copyright violation does not come under the theft act. Theft = intentionally /willfully depriving someone of their item , like if I break into your house and steal your camera ,, copyright violation is about making unauthorised copies of a picture (or video, song artwork, book etc) , and thus does not deprive the person effected of their original copy ergo its not theft.

Copyright violation comes under the copyright, designs and patents act 1988 and is generally a civil not criminal offence
Click to expand...

Indeed. Theft Act 1968 does not apply here.
 
CPS webpage on intellectual copyright (which I think is what a photograph is??) says it may be a criminal offence, however this is only likely to be for large scale commercial infringements http://www.cps.gov.uk/legal/h_to_k/intellectual_property_crime/

Likewise the government website https://www.gov.uk/guidance/intellectual-property-crime-and-infringement

TBH, I don't think you're going to be getting a balaclava clad team of coppers caving your front door in at 5AM for printing out a few photograph you found on the web.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top