A General Copyright Question

[c_lang]

I was wondering if there is a website or place to find if a picture is copyrighted or not. The reason I ask is that someone gave me a picture of something and I'm not sure if they took the picture or if they got it from another source. They say they took it but, I can't just take their word for it b/c they've gave me pictures in the past of things they say they took the picture and I later found out they didn't. I'm wondering b/c if I do make it into a pattern, am I able to post it. I know I can if it isn't copyrighted or if it's a personal picture, just not foresure I can if their's is or not. Any info on this would really be appreciated.

[Travis]

I don't know of any website that will allow you to check copyright status. Other than hiring copyright lawyer/researcher, I have no idea where to begin. You can check WikiCommons and see if your pic is listed there. They have pretty good records. You could post or link to the pic and see if anybody here recognizes it or know of any potential problems.

 

I think what it comes down to is that if you're not comfortable with where the image came from, I wouldn't distribute it. While we try to moderate and head off any potential problems, ultimately the responsibility relies with you (the pattern distributor/designer). If it was me, I wouldn't post it unless I knew for sure.

 

Kinda vague, but I hope this helps a little.

[c_lang]

Thanks Travis,

You answered my question. I had already decided not to even do the pattern for them, I mean they lied to me once. It just had me thinking about that, thought I would ask and see if there was somewhere I could check. Thanks again.

[Barry5180]

Chris,

 

You are suffering from a common dilemma, and you have come to a smart conclusion. First I applaud your restraint and wanting to check the image before using it. It is refreshing to see someone that concerned. Secondly, you are correct in assuming that just because this person said they took the photo, does not actually mean they did. If the photo quality is that good, you may be able to track it down fairly easily. If you would like to send me a copy of the photo in an e-mail, I can do a little checking if this is something you would really like to do.

 

Individual photos rarely have registered copyrights with the US copyright office, mainly due to how quickly a photo can be produced. Therefore there is rarely any way to research a copyright on a single photo. Now if it came from a published grouping of photos, say in a book, that may be registered.

 

Hope this helps some.

 

BArry