Copyright Aid

Hi keith, This subject illustrates (sorry about the pun) the principle which is at the heart of copyright: the distinction between the idea and the expression of the idea. The former is not protected but the latter can be, provded that the work exhibits sufficient originality and reflects to some de...

Hi beebaakid, As it appears you haven't logged in again since my posting above (although you may have seen it without logging in), I thought it might be helpful for you and others reading this thread, to indicate how the courts assess cases such the one you have outlined. This can best be illustrate...

Hi beebaakid, If you haven't already seen this thread it's probably worth a read as it answers most of your questions. The amount of money they are seeking looks out of proportion to the alleged infringement, which is pretty much how these companies operate. It is interesting that in your case you d...

Hi mike, As the picture agencies tend to monitor how their images are used, I suspect they would notice the unauthorised use quite quickly and ask for an additional payment to upgrade the licence. If the licensee failed to pay up, they could be liable an action through the courts for breach of contr...

Hi Laura, Assuming that the words (lyrics?) are still protected by copyright when a licence ends, a new licence would not be required just to keep using the original printed copies, provided that the use is not for a commercial performance of the sacred music concerned. So for ordinary worship or ch...

The image I linked to earlier was from Wikimedia Commons, but I'm sure there are other sources of good quality images of van Gogh's works.

Hi again, mike, Thanks for the clarification. What Deposit are talking about are licence terms. A copyright owner can set any limitations on how his/her work is used by others, and Deposit seems to have this rather complicated scheme for how its standard and extended licences can operate. That is a ...

Hi mike, I hope I have understood your question correctly. You would like to use an image from a stock agency on the cover of a notepad or note book, but the photo agency is claiming that would require permission unless the inclusion of the image on the cover was merely incidental. Copyright will ex...

Hi mike,
Unfortunately due to the amount of spam the site receives, the initial posting by a new member has to be approved by a moderator before it goes on a forum. Your two postings are now up.

Hi nilla, A lot will depend on whether the photographer is a freelance or a staff photographer. Chances are if he (or she) is a freelance they will have retained the copyright and just licensed Motorsport to use it themsleves, or to act as agents on behalf of the photographer. The copyright in the w...

Hi nilla, Thanks for the additional information. It appears from Wikipedia that Motorsport Images is a racing and automotive photo and technical drawing archives with over 23M assets under management. The group is made up of a portfolio of leading motorsport and automotive photo agencies, including ...

Hi nilla, I'm not entirely clear who the 'Motorsport' you refer to is (this one , maybe?). Not that it matters that much, as assuming that it owns the copyright in the disputed image, they do have a right to pursue any unlicensed use of thier images. However, like you, I would say that the retrospec...

Hi needham, Let's start with your statement " I have gathered that it is an infringement to post memes for commercial purposes ". This is not strictly true. It may be that if you quoting a meme you could be covered by the quotation exception , although this is debatable. But with that particular exc...

Hi Jp_UK, As the websites you designed were done in the course of your emplyment, section 11(2) of the Copyright Designs and Patents Act (CDPA) 1988 says that the employer is the first owner of the copyright in the work that you created. The fact that the agency has now ceased to exist doesn't mean ...

Hi ferguson, Sorry, I should have clarified both those points. No, the language doesn't matter, and the basic principles are the same where ever you are based within the EU as the overall law is that of the EU, although each member state applies its own nuances. As it happens, Irish copyright law is...