Reminder about Copyright

[Elspeth]

Recently there's been a significant increase in the number of copyrighted photos posted in our threads without permission from the copyright owner. As well as being against the forum rules, this is illegal.

The forum rules state

By posting content on the Websites you warrant that you are the creator and owner of the posted content, or that you have obtained prior written consent to post said content from a third party owner. When posting content originating from any third party, you agree to conspicuously post the name of said third party adjacent to said posted content.

If you are unable to do this, you may not post photos directly in the threads, either as attachments or as images from albums at photo-hosting sites. Instead, you must post the photos as links to the original source or to the page in your album where the photo is stored.

Photos posted in the threads in violation of the above rule will continue to be removed by moderators, and members who persist in posting photos will be subject to suspension and eventually a permanent ban. We can't afford to have this forum and its parent company placed at risk of legal action by photo agencies and publishers simply because members can't be bothered to read or follow the rules.

If anyone has questions about this policy, please post them here or contact a member of the moderation team. We'd much rather take the time to help people understand what they may and may not do than continue to have to delete photos and send threatening PMs.

The following FAQs should help clarify the policy.

What do I need to do so that I can post copyrighted photos and articles?

In order to legally post copyrighted material, you must obtain written permission from the copyright owner. We will not be policing the site to ensure that members have permission to post their photos; however, if a copyright owner (a photo agency, photographer, publisher, etc) demands to see proof of the written permission, the poster will be expected to produce it. Failure to do so may result in legal action against the poster by the copyright owner and will result in deletion of the material and suspension or banning of the poster from this forum. The above applies to all copyrighted material including (but not limited to) photos and other artwork, videos, movies, screencaps, magazine and newspaper articles (both print and online), reviews, blog entries, e-mails, and posts at other forums. Press releases are generally exempt.

How can I find out who owns the copyright of a photo or article I want to post?

Books, magazines, newspapers, TV programmes, DVDs, photo agencies, etc., carry statements specifying the copyright information for their content. Copyright is usually held by the creator of the work (the photographer, author, or producer) and sometimes also by photo agencies and publishers of magazines, newspapers, and books. Sources such as eBay, google, yahoo, your or someone else's private collection of professional photos, and other discussion forums and search engines are not copyright owners. If you can't find the information you need, or if you think the material may be exempt from the permission requirement, you can contact a member of the moderation team for assistance.

I bought a copy of a magazine or newspaper and I want to post scans of some of the photos. I own my copy of the magazine, so do I still need permission from the magazine publisher to post the photos?

Yes. The copyright remains with the photographer or the publisher of the magazine or newspaper, and these photographs can only be posted in the threads at The Royal Forums if you have obtained written permission from the copyright holder. You may be required by the photographer or agency to provide proof of this permission in order to avoid legal action against you on their part, so it's important that you keep it somewhere safe and accessible. Our copyright rules and the US copyright law apply to these photos in the same way as to photos you find on the internet.

I've saved some photos from a photo agency onto my computer and added them to an album in my image-hosting account. Now they're in my account, do I still need to get permission from the photo agency to post them?

Yes. The copyright remains with the photographer and the agency, and these photographs can only be posted in the threads at The Royal Forums if you have obtained written permission from the copyright holder.

Can I post photos of magazine covers without getting permission? The covers are in plain view of anyone in the bookstore, so are they protected by copyright laws?

Magazine covers are protected by the same copyright laws as the rest of the content, and may not be posted without permission.

Do I need to say anything about the copyright of a photo or article that I've posted?

As stated in our rules, "By posting content on the Websites you warrant that you are the creator and owner of the posted content, or that you have obtained prior written consent to post said content from a third party owner. When posting content originating from any third party, you agree to conspicuously post the name of said third party adjacent to said posted content." When you post a copyrighted photo or a complete copyrighted article, you should add the statement "Posted with permission from {name of copyright holder}." Please note that lying about having obtained permission will result in a permanent ban from the forum and may also result in legal action against you by the copyright owner. Photos that aren't accompanied by the above statement will be deleted.

Can I post a link to a page of my album at a photo-hosting account instead of posting the photos directly in the threads?

Yes. In this case, you do not need to provide a statement about copyright permission in your post because the photos are not on the Royal Forums site. However, please note that the photo-hosting website will probably also have copyright rules, and you may be infringing those rules by storing copyrighted material.

Do I need to get permission to post links to photos on agency or magazine websites?

No. The photos themselves are still on the original website, so no permission is needed to post a link to that site.

I took some photos of a royal visit to my hometown. Do I own the copyright?

Yes. However, please add a note to your post identifying the photographs as being your own work.

Are really old photos copyrighted? If the copyright belongs to the photographer, and the photographer died 50 years ago, do I still need permission to post the photo? Surely copyright protection doesn't last for ever.

Copyright protection usually extends several decades beyond the lifetime of the photographer or author. However, photos and articles dating from the beginning of the First World War and earlier should no longer be subject to copyright restrictions and may be posted without permission.

[RhapsodyBrat]

Thanks for these reminders, Elspeth. The copyright thing is now clear to me, so now I'll know what to do.

I'm a bit curious though about Madeleine Glindorf's photos. I remember she used to be here at TRF and contributed some of her photos. Now it seems that she has prevented the use of her photos on forums. What has happened? Am I right about my recollection, or has she contacted the forum saying she wants her photos off the forum?

Thanks in advance.

[Elspeth]

I think she'd like to have people contact her for permission if they want to post photos, the same as any other photographer. She's no longer posting them here herself, but I don't know how she feels about granting permission for other posters to do so.