Copyright Issues on Songs/Poems Posted with Images

[halesr]

Are there any copyright issues when we post lyrics to songs or poems with photos? I am working on an image and I would like to post an entire poem under it. I will of course give the author and publisher of the poem and the book it is from, but is there any issue I should be aware of. In the past I have only posted a stanza and not the complete song/poem etc. Thanks, Rene

[leggings]

Rene as long as you are not using the poem or song as part of the image then I am sure it would be fine if you give credit to the author of the song. Also, if you do not plan on using the photo in an exhibition, say, publishing it and selling it then it should also be fine. There is a fee for each song used if you do plan on using the image with the song for commercial use.

For the use here on Pbase it shouldn’t be a problem.

Duncan

[pathfindar]

I would think it would depend on the person who owns the verse or song. Think of it in reverse, what if the person who wrote a poem decided to use your photograph along with their poem on a site without your consent?

What about other photographers? Do you think any photographer here woud object to their work being used without their consent? Some would probably be happy if they were credited, some would not. It is their property and hard to tell how each person would respond.

Quoting parts might leave you less potential problems, but using the full verse, they certainly would have the right to object. If they saw it as flattery and free advertising or an infringement of their rights would probably vary from person to person.

[ericvision]

You should read the copyright statement in the book. If it mentions either "redistribution in a form other than that which it was sold" or storage in a retrieval system then you'd be breaching their copyright.

I agree with pathfindar. I suspect that if you asked the publisher/author the answer would be no, and I think you know that or you would have asked them!

[dang]

Duplication in whole, or in part IS ALWAYS © infringement without permission from what I've been told. And written permission is the only 100% safe way to do it. Even buildings we photograph that were constructed after 1972 (if memory of the year is correct) can be a violation of the designers rights. However as we all know, the time & expense of legal action makes it difficult to prosecute. If you find your photo on another web site you'll most often just ask it be removed as long as it's not for commercial purposes. And even then, you have the burdon of proving it's use is costing you money. I would think, in the strickest senses of the law there's not many sites on pbase that do not infringe on someones rights somewhere, someway. Unless you're shooting model shots (with signed release, and records of their name & other full information) in front of a blank wall, most of us are breaking some type of law. It's only the most abusive, and repeated ones that will be prosecuted. I've brought this topic around before concerning style sheets, but it didn't seem to bring much reaction other than, yes as the final answer. But people use them, and most other things and feel it's okay as long as they give credit. Ask permission, or ask a lawyer for legal advice if you're really concerned. Or don't post anything, and then you'll really know your safe.

[juliano]

Hi, I have at times placed lyrics on a foto and always credited the artist underneath. I have recently started a gallery called 'Postcards', as a way of displaying snippets of my own writing along with my images, in a triptych format. Having been trained in Advertising words and images always go hand in hand in my imagination! I think its only respectful to credit the artist whose lyrics/words you might use for the reasons already mentioned.

[clickaway]

Sometimes, I post a photo and attach the lyrics of a song underneath and may have to Google the writer's name to give a credit. I'm amazed that the various lyrics sites often don't show this usually just giving the name of the singer with the most well-known version!

In the practical world, I suspect we have a fair degree of latitude for showing 'copyrighted' images within our work, especially if it forms part of an everyday scene and its of a non-commercial nature. Incorporating copyrighted words is a bit more blatant.

As had been said before, always take legal advice if you are really concerned or plan to make money out of your art.

Ray