© Copyright
So here’s the low down:
The contents of this blog – verbiage and images – are copyright of Richard Reeve, unless I expressly state otherwise. Like most photographers I am fairly obsessed with copyright infringement, but then again I am also a pragmatic kind of guy. It takes me quite a bit of effort to create what I do and I feel it should have some kind of protection, which is does, under US Copyright Law, at least. Also, I do sell my images.
It’s a common misconception that just because someone posts something on the internet it’s free to use. This is not the case. We all know that music, films and pre-release copies of books posted on the web without copyright holders’ permission are illegal; well here’s the big eye-opener: the law applies to everybody, not just corporations. Also, although many people say that the works didn’t have the © copyright sign on it, it’s irrelevant (since 1989). The moment an original work is created it has copyright protection, whether or not it is registered with the US Copyright Department.
So, if you want to link to an image or re-post for non-commercial reasons then that’s fine by me, as long as you attribute my original content to me. If you want to use it for commercial reasons, or as a banner or other prominent artwork (and this includes “non-profits”) then please contact me to discuss terms.
I don’t bite!
Oh, and these days using a reverse image search such as google or tineye is getting more common, so if you use an image it will get found eventually. Many of my colleagues also belong to organizations such as Pixsy too, which makes this fairly automated. Then you could be on the receiving end of a DMCA Notice, which is not a very pleasant experience.
The bottom line: Be sensible – how would you feel if someone lifted some work you did without your permission. All I am asking for is honesty – when in doubt, please drop me an email!
Thanks for reading to the end… 🙂
searching4theshot 