Your opinion on printing someone elses pictures

viewfromthenorth said:
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.
Click to expand...

That is half the problem and why copyright THEFT is such a common problem. People who are prepared to engage specialist lawyers and pursue infringements then have to bring a private prosecution because the Police are unwilling to commit resources to bring about a prosecution. I have engaged such lawyers several times and have come out the better for it.
 
viewfromthenorth said:
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.
Click to expand...

depends on the sort of picture ;)
 
Lensflare said:
That is half the problem and why copyright THEFT is such a common problem. People who are prepared to engage specialist lawyers and pursue infringements then have to bring a private prosecution because the Police are unwilling to commit resources to bring about a prosecution. I have engaged such lawyers several times and have come out the better for it.
Click to expand...

Its not theft :bang:

the police aren't willing to commit resources to it because in most cases (except the very large commercial infringements mentioned) its a civil matter , and you bring suit not a private prosecution
 
There is a legal difference between copyright infringement (civil law, based on IP) and copyright theft.

Copyright theft occurs not when someone breaches copyright, but when someone makes commercial copies of someone's IP.

So technically all those eBay sellers selling prints of other people's work are breaking criminal law.

But the OP printing images, is a breach of civil law, but if he'd not asked the question, who would know / care. Would I be at any more loss if he printed one of my images than if he simply added it to a Pinterest board? Indeed, how much more would he be gaining?
 
The intended use really wouldn't worry me in the slightest if you did it with my photos, and I suspect most photographers would feel the same, now if you were producing a 30 inch canvas under the guise of inspiration I think that is feel differently and expect you to buy said print, but a small reference/inspiration print is fine
 
Didn't the court case involving Richard Prince pretty much make this legal ?
 
Pull the photo up on screen. Take photograph of screen. Print photograph of screen. Artists call that appropriation. :)
 
and that was in US courts, which don't set a precedent for the UK.

UK law's Fair Dealing is much more limited in scope than US Fair Use (which was the basis Prince's defence) anyhow.

Fair Dealing covers the points of private study (mentioned earlier), criticism or review, and reporting of current events. Parody was also recently added to the list of fair dealing defences.

In short, whatever the effects in the USA, it certainly didn't make it legal in Britain.
 
Last edited:
^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...

I'd say perfectly fine in UK as your purpose is private study (country dependent)...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_dealing_in_United_Kingdom_law

"Fair dealing is an exception to United Kingdom copyright law which allows for the use of copyrighted works without licensing in certain circumstances. It is governed by Sections 29 and 30 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, which provide three types of situation in which fair dealing is a valid defence: where the use is for the purposes of research or private study, where it is to allow for criticism or review, and where it is for the purpose of reporting current events."
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top