copyright

Ethics and Images and the Messiness of AI

Artistic Ideas, Photography, Landscapes, Laws, Expertise

You might be aware of the raging controversy of the use of an Ansel Adams photograph as the source material for an AI generated “colorized” version of the photograph.

That isn’t the problem – the copyright expired on this particular photograph and was not renewed, so the photograph was “in the public domain” and could be used in any way by any artist for any purpose.

The issue is how the gallery that recreated the image then marketed it with Ansel Adams name and reference to the original photograph. Why is that a problem?

Disclaimer: I am not a lawyer and this is not a legal case or legal advice.

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Most Bizzare Story Ever

Interesting Stuff, Photography

It’s the stuff of mystery novels, with twists and turns and a very unexpected ending. A sculptor in the US was recently awarded more than $3M in damages for copyright infringement over misuse of his work.

The work: a replica of the Statue of Liberty, designed for a casino in Las Vegas. The culprit: the US Postal Service, who legitimately licensed a copy of an image taken of the replica by a photographer who offered it on Getty Images.

Say what? Continue reading “Most Bizzare Story Ever” →

To Watermark or Not to Watermark – That is the Question

Organization and Management, Photography, Tools

Many of my peers in hobbyist photography “watermark” their photographs, both on their websites and certainly on any social media or group sharing sites. And yet many of the pro photographers I follow don’t do this, even though they arguably have more of a reason for doing so.

A watermark is an identifier that sits overtop of some portion of the image. It is usually semi-transparent. The identifier could be the photographer’s name, their business name, or a combination of both. A copyright symbol and year might also be included. These labels might be simple white text or more elaborate logos and fonts. They are most often placed in a corner of the image, but sometimes can occupy more central space. Text sizes vary, but most are unobtrusive, aiming not to interfere with proper viewing of the image.

Why do photographers use them? It seems there are two main reasons: to guard against theft and to advertise their work. Let’s examine each of those purposes. Continue reading “To Watermark or Not to Watermark – That is the Question” →

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