Yes, I’m pretty much everywhere ;-) I do have other sites, yes.

I try to use my own photos and graphics with my writing as much as I can. I have licensed access to some pretty good stock shops too, and requests to the people about whom I am writing usually fills the gap.

db

Ironically I ended up here, as I was searching for more info on including photos in a blog. I thought your name sounded familiar, and realized you re the author of Significant Figures, also.

You have two great blogs…is there more?

With regard to using photos on a blog, do you think it would be better to just use your own photos and alleviate the issues that could arise by using online stock photos?

Copyright generally belongs to the creator, i.e. the person taking the photo, the person giving the speech, unless they have specifically signed away their copyright (US government employees claim no copyright, other companies may hold copyright to creative work done in the employer’s time and even out of the office.

In the US you cannot take a photograph of just anyone and use it for commercial gain without getting their consent. Additionally, if you take a photograph intrusively, i.e. with a doubled 300 mm zoom lens with image stabilisation pointing right into a celeb’s open shower room window while they’re getting undressed, you are generally breaking privacy laws in most places in the world. A photo of a celeb attending a movie premiere is a different matter.

As to posting a recording of someone’s talk or speech, the words are their copyright, there is no creative act involved in your recording them and posting to your blog, even if you add a drumtrack.

db

For example, a celebrity is photographed while walking on the street. Does that celebrity possess copyrights over the photograph ? Same question, a member of Joe Public is photographed while walking on the street. Does s/he own the copyrights over the photo ?

Logically I find it difficult to believe that individuals, celebrity or not, can claim he or she has copyrights over any image of himself / herself. But isn’t this the basis for legal suits by a number of celebrities over photos taken of themselves in events such as weddings etc ?

Lastly, similar question on voice. Someone makes a public speech. It is recorded and made available to the public in some blogs. Does that individual own the copyrights over that speech ?

many thanks
Leo