Picture Posting - Must Read

[Paul Steinberg]

Please do not post any pictures that you take off of the internet! There is a company that is trolling the Internet looking for pictures that have been downloaded to forums such as ours, looking for pictures taken by professional photographers, and when they find one, they go after the forum for "fine" money for using the pictures illegally. You own the copyright of all pictures that you take, but you don't have the right to use a picture taken by someone else. Your co-operation in this matter is paramount, and should a violation happen, you personally may be held liable. I have learned about other car clubs that have used pictures on their forums or in their magazines, that are already dealing with this issue at great expense to them and their members. This is also starting to filter down to facebook and other social networking websites.
It is OK to put a link to where you saw the picture, i.e., Craigslist, eBay, etc., but it isn't proper to post the picture itself. Only post pictures that you personally own the copyright to, because you took the picture with your own camera.
Thanks
Paul Steinberg
Senior Forums Administrator

 

[Abe Bush]

Hi Paul, what about if you try to find the original photographer but can't? Would it be acceptable to cite the source of the photo by URL, and notate "Photographer unknown"?

 

[Paul Steinberg]

No, the way that the copyright laws have been amended recently, the copyright continues after the persons death. It is a very difficult thing to follow and understand how copyright law has evolved.

eBay has added another wrinkle to ownership question... Read more here...