Thoughts on Copyright and Use of Images

 

There seems to be some misunderstanding regarding the use of images that appear on photography websites. Here are my thoughts on the issue:

 

  1. If someone takes an image from my (or any) website and claims it as their own, that is copyright infringement.

 

2.  If someone wants to use an image from my (or any) website for any purpose, that person should ask for my permission by e-mailing me at markeganphotos@gmail.com .

 

  1. I have the right to charge for images used for commercial purposes. I will make the decision based upon what the image will be used for. What does         “commercial purposes” mean?

                             

                  -- If the image is used for an article (print or online), then that could entice some people to read the article and then perhaps subscribe to the magazine or newspaper; indirectly, the image may have contributed to the magazine or newspaper making profit.

 

      -- If the image is used to try to sell an item directly (i.e., as part of an online travel website)

 

  1. There are numerous examples of people posting an image on their website (or flickr.com or facebook page) without giving credit to the photographer—most likely because that person thought the image was interesting.

 

Example: http://www.flickr.com/photos/12658702@N03/2487487277/

This image was actually taken by Mike Hollingshead (see the original at http://www.extremeinstability.com/04-5-28.htm): Notice that on the flickr.com page no credit is given to Mr. Hollingshead. There’s nothing to show that the owner of the flickr.com page (username: Dave607) is not the original photographer. Even if “Dave607” did not mean any harm and was only showing Mr. Hollingshead’s image because he/she thought it was interesting, he/she should have given proper credit.

 

 While this is not as severe a violation as using an image for commercial purposes; it is still possibly a violation of copyright laws. At the very least, taking an image without giving proper credit (name of the photographer and ideally, a link to his or her website) shows disrespect to the photographer.

 

So, in conclusion, please don’t take my images. I’ve worked hard to build my photography skills to create images like this. If you would like to use my images for commercial purposes, or if you want to display them on your website, please e-mail me at markeganphotos@gmail.com and ask.  Thank you for reading.