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20090501-DSC_0232-3.jpg

Christmas Carols

Barefoot in the sand

Another crack removal

[Codeman]

Hi Dave,

I was wondering how OPR handles the copyright issues on all of the studio ( professional ) photos that we are restoring ? The reason I ask is that I am making before and after photos of the pictures that I have restored. I am doing this both for use as show and tell as well as to see how well the photo restoration turned out. I had one that my photo lab of choice refused to process without a release from the photographer. I am hoping that I can some how get a release under the umbrella of OPR. I really don't want to do my own inkjet prints.

Codeman

[paula]

I'm curious what you mean by show and tell?

[Codeman]

Hi Paula,

Something that I can show friends and family what I am doing and telling them about OPR.

Codeman

[Dave]

Codeman,

That's a new one. The only prints that we ever intended to make were the ones that we are providing to our "clients". I would say that it should be legal to make a print of your restoration, because the restoration could be considered an original work. There's nothing we can do about printing out any originals that show some form of copyright.

Dave

[Ausimax]

Hi Dave,

This question always seems to resurface regarding copyright, legally I would think we are infringing copyright by posting photos in the forum as well as by uploading them to our respective photo hosts, I always make them private on my hosts for that reason, however it is still a question, perhaps OPR should get some sort of limited release on photos when they accept them for restoration to cover these occasions.

I know that won't change the situation with studio photos and printing, I print my own photos for checking purposes so I have never encountered that problem.

Max

[kiska]

I have seen 'Olan Mills' on several of these pics, A reputable printer will not reprint any photos with an obvious 'signature'. You would have to get a release from the photographer, I would think; or print your own.

[Codeman]

The photo printer determined that it was professionally photographed by the studio backround in the photo, not by any logos.

Codeman

[Dave]

Well here's the thing, I'm not a copyright lawyer nor do I play one on tv. I do know that copyright shouldn't be an issue for us. Ideally the only prints that the organization makes are the restorations created by the organization's volunteers.

Also, copyright becomes a more seriours issue when money is being made. No one should be making any money through the work that they do for OPR.

As far as posting these photos on the forum, there shouldn't be any issues because we are presenting our works in progress. These works may originate from previously created images, but they are our works once the restoration process begins.

Basically, I understand that volunteers are proud of the work that they are doing. In some cases, some volunteers have used their work to help get the word out about OPR (in those cases they have sought and been granted permission by OPR management to do so).

However, no one should look for OPR to establish some kind of blanket policy that allows volunteers to do with what they want with their restorations. Our mission is to provide free restoration services and new prints to the victims of tragedy. If we keep it that simple, we are in no danger of doing harm to anyone's copyright.

Dave

[kiska]

Codeman, you should feel fortunate that your printer is so cautious.

[OPRAng]

FYI, when we collect photos from the families they are made aware of our use of the internet in relation to direct OPR work. But that is more of an issue for privacy and security than copyright.

On a mushy note, when I spoke with one woman re: the wedding photos we worked on for her, she said that 13 homes in her family were destroyed in Katrina. So there were no copies from aunts and uncles. They contacted the photo studio to purchase more copies of the photos and the studio was also destroyed. Had it not for OPR, they would have never had any of those photos again...

Angela