43
votes
Accepted
What are the legal repercussions of taking a stranger's picture in public?
In the United States, You have no expectation of privacy in public. Anything you can see from a public place, you can take a picture of, even if the "victim" is in their own home but has the blinds ...
- 3,445
35
votes
Accepted
Can a celebrity sue someone who takes obnoxious pictures/videos of him in public and uploads onto internet without his permission?
As per this question & answer, in the US there is no expectation of privacy in public places (not to be confused with private places where public is allowed e.g. supermarkets). Photos taken in ...
- 20.1k
26
votes
What are the legal repercussions of taking a stranger's picture in public?
Taking the picture is one thing. There are also laws about what you can do with it: In the United States you cannot in general use a person's image for "commercial purposes" without their permission, ...
- 20k
26
votes
Can satellite images be copyrighted?
OSM does use aerial/satellite images. But as the OSM FAQ explains, Google Maps and similar sources have unsuitable terms of service. These would prevent use even if no copyright was involved.
The ...
- 17.2k
19
votes
Accepted
Fair Use of Photos as a Derivative Work
If the photos are exact or "slavish" reproductions of flat (2D) art, then under Bridgeman Art Library v. Corel Corp., 36 F. Supp. 2d 191 (S.D.N.Y. 1999) the photos are not original, and have no ...
- 92.8k
14
votes
Accepted
Do family pictures and videos in public places fall under GDPR?
The judgment linked to by the article says:
During the period from 5 October 2007 to 11 April 2008, Mr Ryneš installed and used a [continuously recording] camera system
located under the eaves of ...
- 5,758
12
votes
What are the legal repercussions of taking a stranger's picture in public?
For other jurisdictions, Wikimedia Commons has a list of countries and what you are allowed to do with pictures taken in public.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Commons:...
- 229
12
votes
Accepted
Restraint classed as assault after suspecting unconsented photo
You acted illegally in assaulting your fellow student. When you are in public, a person can legally take your picture, and you are not allowed to assault a person because you do not like their legal ...
- 160k
11
votes
Accepted
How do laws affect photography of non-humans in public when people may be in the frame?
Let's put to bed the myth of privacy that is at the heart of your question: in R v Sotheren (2001) NSWSC 204 Justice Dowd said “A person, in our society, does not have a right not to be photographed.”
...
- 152k
11
votes
Accepted
Can satellite images be copyrighted?
Other answers argument why information extracted from satellite images (or the images themselves) can't be copyrighted in the USA. However, Open Street Map is based in the UK, whose copyright law ...
- 688
8
votes
What are the legal repercussions of taking a stranger's picture in public?
For the point of view from another jurisdiction (Australia) see How do laws affect photography of non-humans in public when people may be in the frame?
To repeat:
In R v Sotheren (2001) NSWSC 204 ...
- 152k
8
votes
Accepted
Does volunteer photographer own copyright?
What a lovely question!
Copyright law is clear: the author of a creative work owns the copyright unless it is work for hire. In this instance, the photographer is not doing work for hire so they own ...
- 152k
8
votes
Accepted
Using Tinder photos for machine learning
Tinder's Terms of Service (TOS) is pretty clear:
Therefore, you agree not to:
• use the Service or any content contained in the Service for any
commercial purposes without our written ...
- 17.6k
7
votes
Accepted
What is the legal status of intimate photos sent to your (now) ex-partner after a break-up?
I assume these are digital photos that were electronically transferred (not prints physically delivered). If they were prints physically delivered, he owns those prints, since you used to own them but ...
- 160k
7
votes
The Legality of Naked Photos of a child for an abuse case
Will you be in legal trouble for child pornography? No.
The legal definition of child pornography generally requires things such as "sexually explicit conduct" or "lewd and lascivious display". ...
- 5,515
7
votes
Can satellite images be copyrighted?
Facts cannot be copyrighted. 17 USC 102 (b) reads:
In no case does copyright protection for an original work of authorship extend to any idea, procedure, process, system, method of operation, concept,...
- 92.8k
6
votes
Creative commons for erotic purpose
Assuming that the images are in fact released by the copyright holder under the CC_BY 2.0 license, and not under the CC_BY_NC or CC_BY_SA license, you are free to use the image on a book cover. That ...
- 92.8k
6
votes
Can a celebrity sue someone who takes obnoxious pictures/videos of him in public and uploads onto internet without his permission?
If you're talking about the United States, the celebrity will lose this case:
Being mildly embarrassed does not give rise to damages
The First Amendment allows us to gather and disseminate ...
- 44.3k
6
votes
Accepted
Why are photos of people in public blurred?
Costs
There are hundreds of jurisdictions in the world with various approaches to privacy in public places.
It is simply much cheaper for the publisher to avoid claims in the first place than to hire ...
- 20.1k
6
votes
Accepted
Any law that requires you to allow police to photograph you in public?
In general in the US, anyone may photograph anyone else if they are all in a public place, although in some states such a photo may not be used commercially without permission, which must often be ...
- 92.8k
5
votes
Accepted
If I take a photo with my Android phone of a tree to use it as a texture in a video game, who does the copyright belong to?
Photographers own the copyright in their photos, in general the person who creates a work owns the copyright in their work. Otherwise, makers of cameras, chisels and typewriters would own all of the ...
- 160k
5
votes
What can I do if someone posts nude pictures of me on the Internet?
The situation described could lead to a suit for "Intrusion of solitude" or "invasion of seclusion" one of the torts classed under "Invasion of privacy" The state of Michigan recognizes this tort, and ...
- 92.8k
5
votes
What is the legal status of intimate photos sent to your (now) ex-partner after a break-up?
The copies of the photo that you gave to him continue to be his. He is allowed to keep them, and there is probably no way that you could legally compel him to delete or destroy them. Unless the ...
- 44.3k
5
votes
Child pornography and pictures of oneself
"The EU" is a lot of different jurisdictions, and laws vary between them. The following answer applies to the UK.
A: Alice is guilty of making and possessing indecent images of a child. The fact that ...
- 12.1k
5
votes
Can I sue a publication for using my picture in an unflattering light?
No one can give you a meaningful answer unless you specify what jurisdiction you're in. Assuming you're in the United States:
There's no liability for defamation.
The company using your picture isn't ...
- 44.3k
5
votes
Is it illegal if someone posts a photo of me that was taken by their front doorbell without me knowing?
If this was anywhere in the United States, it was perfectly legal to post the photo.
The First Amendment allows people to freely share information, including pictures. People commonly believe that ...
- 44.3k
5
votes
Accepted
Can a person use a picture of copyrighted work commercially?
A car, or other useful object, is not generally a copyrighted work. There can, in come cases, be a copyright on the aesthetic aspects of the design, which might prohibit a different car maker from ...
- 92.8k
4
votes
Trespassing or Public Property?
In the scenario you described, you were both right:
Police have no authority to demand that you leave a public space because you are photographing, nor does the government have the right to prevent ...
- 20k
4
votes
Can I legally share online a picture of police officers interacting with individuals in a public place in France?
It is illegal to take or publish a picture of someone without his consent in France.
There are five exceptions :
people related to news events of public interest,
public information purposes (when ...
- 248
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible