Photos

Think maybe we need to put it into the rules of posting on the forum. We do have one of those, right?

Diane

~yes we do - Daylene can you post something in the rules please and then I will also remind people. Thank you.

I agree that something needs to be done about posting of photos. I've had people take my photos and I find it incredibly rude on top of being illegal. I think that if anyone posts photos they must either own the rights to the photos or have permission of the copyright holder. What about if all photos posted (if not obviously owned by the poster) must have a credit accompanying it? Like a disclaimer saying "photo used with permission of so-and-so."

I've been doing a bit of research on this and I believe the fair use clause of US copyright law allows use of a photo for educational purposes as long as you provide a link or give credit back to the original site/owner and the photo is not used to generate revenue.

I will be adding a rule about this that will appear at the top of each forum but I want to clarify if its ok to post a photo as long as you give credit or if only a link is allowed.

Daylene

I think we are a bit anal about it here....but whatever you all think will keep us safe.

Better to anal than to be sued. :booty :rofl

Diane

I don't think it is anal to want to avoid stealing other people's property.

So what do you guys think? Allow photos to be posted as long as a link is added or credit given or only allow a link to the original photo.

I think, if someone has the photo, i.e., one they took or scanned, it can be posted. If it's from another website, just link to it.

Diane

I agree with Diane on both counts, some people would be chuffed that their pictures were on here others could gert VERY upset so it's not anal to worry about that or to get the site a bad reputation. I think a link to it if they do not have permission is the safest way to go.

I would make sure there is a disclaimer, a gentle reminder to watch the copyright, and a note that if you are posting someone else's photo, it's gonna be your butt on the line. Most people get it. Our previous incarnation never had a problem, so I don't expect one here.

In corresponding with minimorgan, it seems this is not the first time and that more than one member is doing it, so I agree with the "rules" reminder and a warning of the potential conscequenses. Posting a link is always the safest way to "use" a photo without the headache and issues involved with copyright laws.

As a group we need to be diligent to protect our site, however as there is always a possibility that some photos a member may post are used on a website, but the "owner" of the photos (horse) HAS given permission. I guess it would be prudent if we add a clause to the effect, that if given permission to use a photo that is posted on another website, then that permission needs to somehow be documented (email, signed release or whatever)...any suggestions?

I agree with Maigray if we could make the oness back onto the poster and ask that that they make sure they permission to post before they do, if there is any comeback it should be onto them and if any complaints a automatic ban is my suggestion.

If people are soooo concerned with putting their pics up they either need to right click protect , water mark them or how about dont put them up at all :roll: but i guess the link thing will do.

Yes, there's a certain element of common sense on both sides required. There should be respect for our posters as well. We always had that on the old board - if I put up an animal without permission, that was my choice and if there was a problem, it was mine too. But I don't recall we ever did have a real problem all those years, and it wasn't because we didn't make any mistakes. But we took care of it. Mistakes happen, but I think if you give people respect to make those mistakes, and treat them like adults, they'll - mostly - return the favor. We always did.

I totally agree with that so if we have warned the members that if they post pictures they shouldn't then [b]they[/b] take respobsibility for it as Daylene now has done, it shows we have taken steps to protect the site, keep picture owners happy and let people be adults. ;)

[quote="Maigray"]Yes, there's a certain element of common sense on both sides required. There should be respect for our posters as well. We always had that on the old board - if I put up an animal without permission, that was my choice and if there was a problem, it was mine too. But I don't recall we ever did have a real problem all those years, and it wasn't because we didn't make any mistakes. But we took care of it. Mistakes happen, but I think if you give people respect to make those mistakes, and treat them like adults, they'll - mostly - return the favor. We always did.[/quote]

I agree.

Part of that may have been in the later days that people weren't able to sign up and thus some that might have commented/complained were unable to. It was basically a "closed forum" for a while there.

Sure looks like we fall under the fair use guidelines:

http://w2.eff.org/IP/eff_fair_use_faq.p…" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It's a very murky area. I know of one, apparently successful, lawsuit against a horse sim game that didn't control (or try to) the theft of photos for use on its site. My basic rule of thumb is that it's better to be safe than sorry, and that we're safer if we have a 'need permission to post' rule.

Diane

Since we're on the topic, if I get permission to use photos via email, should I forward the emails on to admin, for safekeeping? I do tend to just ask and then go ahead when I get the okay.

I think that would be wise. Maybe they can be archived into a safe place on the server (like there is such a thing :rofl ) or something of the sort.

I have it set up to archive all the databases and the site once a week. Jenks has offered to download the albums for me since I can't do it on my connection. Right now the file for just the albums is over 300mb and growing and the entire site is about 1.7gb but I don't have to download all those files to get the site backup and running again so can manage those.

If worst came to worst and we had to upload one of the backups I'll have to create an ftp account for jenks to allow the upload but that's better then last time!

I agree, saving emails would be wise (but I'd also save a copy in a folder on my own computer or flashdrive - just to be safe). Also, does anyone know the statute of limitations on lawsuits dealing with copyright issues? I know that the limitation of copyrighten photos is 50 yrs here (had to dig that up to get Walmart to reprint a portrait my parents had taken back in the late '60s by OlanMills).

Sorry, revisiting this topic just briefly - what about just posting the relevant copyright laws?

I'm not sure about other countries but in the US we have the "federal" laws and then we have "state" laws...there are cases where the photo may not be protected by federal copyright laws, but an individual state has it's own statute on the subject :roll: :?