copyright question:
fashion blogs are pretty close to online fashion zines
can you get in trouble from using fashion photos, like runway shots? do you have to credit the photographer, or is just like 'luella s/s 08' enough? do you have to credit the site you got them from, like style.com?
if so, how do print magazines get away with just saying the designers name and no other credits?
thanks!
Yeah ... you could be sued, although I guess it doesn't happen often ... but they sure do go after the big guys, like perez.
Credits do not protect you, it's just a courtesy. By US copyright law, you must obtain "user rights" to actually use images that you did not take yourself or risk being sued by the copyright holder. And you get "user rights: by paying for the images . ... like through a stock agency or doing a contract with the photographer ... whoever owns the copyrights.
It's the photographer or if he's contracted to work for someone else, the company that owns the copyright ... not the designer of the clothes, nor the people in the pictures. It's considered an art form of sorts and a picture is owned by the creator.
There are laws to cover
forums like this ... as long as they ensure that everyone who posts has agreed to take responsiblity for what they post and they will pull any images if they are put on notice by a copyright holder. We pull images for this reason, from time to time. Pirelli Calendars is one instance ... they watch us like hawks and let us know whenever a bunch op images pop up here ... we take them all down.
However, I do not think that those laws for forums cover blogs, since the blogger is the person putting the pictures up ... so the blogger is financially responsible.
I'm not an attorney ... so if you are thinking of using someone eles's images for you blog ...you really should ask a copyright attorney, first before using them.
Madhuri is correct ...