Bought a cell phone - Need to konw if i own everything on it

[Kinzik133]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Florida

So i purchase a used cell phone on craigslist. The owner did not have a password on it, didnt factory reset it, or delete anything. I dont really want to get into a moral discussion about whats right/wrong. My question is, do i legally own all the information on the phone? Photos and Videos is mainly what im talking about. I did not "recover" any of this information. It was just there. Let me know what kind of problems i could run into if i attempt to sell or profit from the photos and videos. Thanks

 

[Zigner]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Florida

So i purchase a used cell phone on craigslist. The owner did not have a password on it, didnt factory reset it, or delete anything. I dont really want to get into a moral discussion about whats right/wrong. My question is, do i legally own all the information on the phone? Photos and Videos is mainly what im talking about. I did not "recover" any of this information. It was just there. Let me know what kind of problems i could run into if i attempt to sell or profit from the photos and videos. Thanks

No. Wipe the phone and move on. I would also suggest that you reach out to the seller and offer him/her the opportunity to save the information before you wipe the phone.

 

[quincy]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Florida

So i purchase a used cell phone on craigslist. The owner did not have a password on it, didnt factory reset it, or delete anything. I dont really want to get into a moral discussion about whats right/wrong. My question is, do i legally own all the information on the phone? Photos and Videos is mainly what im talking about. I did not "recover" any of this information. It was just there. Let me know what kind of problems i could run into if i attempt to sell or profit from the photos and videos. Thanks

Although you own the phone and are in physical possession of the videos and photos on the phone, you do not own any rights in the videos or photos on the cell phone.

There is a copyright holder somewhere who holds the rights to the videos and the photos. You might wish to contact the previous owner of the cell phone to let him know that this data is accessible and/or you can (morally/ethically should) delete the previous owner's content.

If you attempt to sell or profit from the photos or videos found on the phone, you could face both criminal and civil actions, depending on the type of photos and videos and your use of them.

 

[Kinzik133]

thought I found a gold mine, i dont want any legal trouble so factory reset it is.

 

[Zigner]

thought I found a gold mine, i dont want any legal trouble so factory reset it is.

Again, you might offer him/her the opportunity to save the information.

 

[quincy]

thought I found a gold mine, i dont want any legal trouble so factory reset it is.

I think you are smart, not only to factory reset the phone but to inquire about the legality of using the photos and videos prior to using them.

Although you may not have found a gold mine, you probably saved yourself a gold mine in legal cost.