Update on Richard Prince, Appropriation and Copyright Infringement

Remember our piece awhile back on appropriation and Richard Prince? http://www.visualconnections.com/blog/the-apotheosis-of-appropriation-richard-prince/ The court cast would appear to be heating up again. To recap: From PetaPixel: In 2014, controversial artist Richard Prince had an exhibit of reappropriated Instagram images at the Gagosian Gallery in NYC, selling the prints for up to $100k each. He sought no …


Are EMOJI Protected by Copyright?

We all wonder about the legalities of using Emojis in our projects. Attorney David Lizerbram tackled this in his blog, reprinted here with his kind permission. Emoji. They are universally beloved. In fact, I’m wondering why I’m even bothering to write this blog post with the boring old English alphabet. But, as with any other …


Education the DMLA Way

DMLA (Digital Media Licensing Association) has traditionally been seen as a trade organization for picture agencies and distributors. Important to note that for a few years now, their programming and offerings are becoming more and more inclusive of the entire visual communications community. Their annual conference in the fall (October 22–24) has expanded programming that …


Notice of Survey on Qualities and Priorities of New Register of Copyrights

From Nancy Wolff, DMLA Counsel The new Librarian of Congress, Dr. Carla Hayden, has started the process of searching for a new Register of Copyrights after removing Maria Pallante as Register on October 21, 2016. DMLA, as well as the other visual artist associations, had worked with the former Register Pallante for six years on …


Tracking Down the Copyright Infringers

Image theft seems to grow and expand. Here, we find out what options are available for recourse and hear of success in protecting one’s copyright. Guest post by Julian Jackson. David Hoffman is a UK photographer, and a bulldog who chases copyright infringers. While I was on the phone, interviewing him for this article, a British …


Can anyone use public domain images?

By Nancy Wolff, DMLA Counsel. Many many thanks to the DMLA, Nancy Wolff and DMLA Executive Director Cathy Aron for permission to repost this article from the DMLA blog. Answer: YES, there are no restrictions on any use of public domain images, including making them available to users for a fee. Since Carol Highsmith filed …


All Types of Gifting this Season

As the season of giving is upon us, let’s take some time out from all that financial management – all that project billing, and equipment buying, and estimate building – and take a brief look at some folks in the photography community are in the the giving frame of mind: Photojournalist Yunghi Kim has perhaps …


DMCA Takedown Notices Require Fair Use Considerations

Reprinted with the kind permission of the DMLA Nancy Wolff and Josh Wolkoff, Cowan DeBaets Abrahams & Sheppard, LLP Lenz v. Universal Music Corp., Case Nos. 13-16106 and 13-16107, in the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) was enacted in 1998 to address in part issues …


What do all these pictures mean, anyway? And whose are they?

In a world where we now upload 1.8 Billion photos a day, maybe it’s time to take stock of all things ”photographic” and what those little image suckers – both professional, amateur and press – might actually mean in the scheme of things; as our high art, media and pop culture changes; both aesthetically and …


Dangerous Little Knowledge

reposted from The Illusion of More with the kind permission of David Newhoff Not surprisingly, friends contact me from time to time with copyright-related questions. I’m careful not to give definitive answers to most of these, but I can usually point them in the right direction toward a solution.  Very recently, a dear friend (let’s …