Online photos

[ARJ]

What is the name of your state? NY

Hi

I would like to create a wedding planner book/cd. I have helped a few people plan weddings and am always buzzing around wedding websites. I have over the course of a few years saved many a picture to my computer. Things like bouquets, cakes, dresses, reception halls etc. Some sites won't let you save the photo you get a copyright message but most don't and I have seen some photos on multiple websites not all related, like one will be for tent rentals another for catering etc.

I would like to use some of the photos that I have collected in my wedding planner book and cd. Would this be considered illegal to add these pictures? If so how would I go about getting permission to use those photos that are just out there on the web? (most of which I don't remember where they came from since I just did an image search on google when a person was looking for ideas on say a red wedding or a beach wedding. Now that I think about it I have also scanned in some photos that I have printed or found in magazines. Also if I purchased a gown and took a photo of myself in it for say the cover of the book would that be illegal since I didn't design the dress?

I won't begin anything (as far as photos go) until I know the law. Thanks for your help.

 

[quincy]

Anyone who takes a photo owns the copyright to that photo, and reprinting it without permission is an infringement on that copyright. You will need a release from the copyright holder to use it. This is true for any written material you may run across, as well.

There are many things floating around on the Internet, but it doesn't mean these things can be used with impunity. If you cannot locate the origin of the material you want to use, and the owner of the copyright, and get permission to use it, do not use it in your book.

If you want to use tent rental services or caterers or reception halls or any other wedding services in your book, obtain written permission from them to advertise their services first.

A picture of you wearing a wedding dress can be used, but if you are using it to highlight or advertise the wedding dress, it is important to get permission from the designer, especially if the designer is a famous name. In order to avoid any suit at all, get permission from everyone highlighted in your book and the creator of anything used in your book (cake designers often have copyrighted their cake designs). Any people you use in your book must give you permission to use their image, as well.

The wisest thing to do when creating any book is to use all original material and not material gathered from other sources. If you want photographs of wedding bouquets or wedding cakes, for instance, take your own photos or pay to have a photographer take photos for you (and then get the rights to use those photos). That way you know the source and can obtain permission and attribute the source properly.

I suggest you take a look through some wedding books currently for sale, and see how they handle everything they use in their books. It is a lot of work compiling material for a book. Do not rely on work done by others without their permission.

And consult with an attorney prior to thoughts of publication, to make sure you have avoided all of the areas that can create legal problems for you, such as copyrights, trademarks, privacy rights, publicity rights......etc.

 

[ARJ]

Thanks. I thought so. I have researched all the different type of weddings but was just unsure of the photo issue since I've seen some on various websites that have nothing to do with each other.

 

[quincy]

I wish you good luck with your book!