Copyright issue, My WHALES on MSNBC

[MtnDiver]

Hope you know a good Copyright lawyer.

Maybe you can get Uncle Bill to finance some new gear!
(like a new 30' diving yacht, so you can have a ScubaBoard dive party).

 

[Chris Bangs]

Awesome picture, Chris... too bad about the unauthorized use. I hope you get the issue resolved fairly for yourself. Coming back our way any time soon or do I have to head to Guam?

Dr. Bill

will be passing through the US early march on my way to the Dominican Rep for the Wyland Gig, but that will take me through either Houston or Newark, better come to Guam, bring a face mask as we have a festering Volcano in the region screwing up the normally clean air

 

[Scubatooth]

chris

sorry about the violation. one thing you might want to check is any agreements you had with AP and such reguarding the photo as in some of those agreements you agree to hand over the copyright of the image without any further compensation. if your paperwork didnt state that you have a distincit case were you could nail them to the wall for 150K per violation if its a registered image (i do this 2x a year with all of my work, i just send the contact sheets or disks with $30 and i get the registered copyright paperwork and im clear for life to get anyone for unauthorized use). but you will need a good lawyer as especially with the big boys it can be a tough road.

FWIW

Tooth

 

[Azotomix]

BELLISSIMA FOTO.!!!

Hope one day will have the chance to get this close encounter


Sorry to hear about the copyright. Hope you will solve everything. Think positive. They use it for a good cause…

 

[fdog]

This shot was NOT authorized by myself to go out on the AP, thought I had it pulled years ago, guess not.<snip>

Chris, sorry about that. What I got from this, though, is you did sell the image to a news organization at one time?

IIRC, standard stringer terms for most US newspapers is that they have endless publication rights, but don't own the image. Magazines, the standard terms are one-time rights.

As far as AP, even though I was an employee (and the newspaper owned every image), if I walked down the hall and sent the image out over the wire, the fee was mine to keep. So the paper was pretty cool that way, but it's not the norm.

All the best, James