Pictures

[Larry]

If a picture is on the internet is it public domain?

In other words if I saw a really cool picture that I wanted to share with the forum would it be ethical and legal to copy?

In the past if I saw a picture that I thought of interest I would provide a link with a little explanation...but maybe I was wrong.

I've had some of my pictures copied and used elsewhere...not a problem if they gave me credit but if not I felt like somebody took advantage of me.

So...what is proper internet etiquette and what does the Boss prefer?

Going a little further I've had pictures that I wanted to share but at the same time did not want to relinquish my rights (if any) to the picture by putting it on Jeffs server.  Would that be a concern?

[Jeff]

In a word.  NO!

Just because a photo is on the internet, does not give rights any different then if it was anywhere else.  This is something I spent a lot of time studying when we set up the gallery.  When You upload to the forestry forum's gallery you retain all rights to the photo, assuming it is your photo, but in turn, grant certain rights to the Forestry Forum as well as spelled out in the Forestry Forum site disclaimer.   No one else has rights to your photos, assuming they are your photos to begin with.

Linking directly to photos you find elsewhere without permission is very poor etiquette and potentially a copyright infringement.

If someone puts a photo on here that they are sent, or found somewhere, and do hot know the origins, they alone are personally liable if there is ever a question about it brought by the original and rightful owner.

I have been asked 5 times in the last going on 9 years to remove photos on the forum that should not be here. I do so IMMEDIATELY, then ask questions,

One of the many reasons I insist photos are in the forum gallery is so we have record of how they got on the forum to begin with and by who. The forum wont be responsible for someone else's ill advised actions.

When someone posts a photo on the forum I must assume they have the right to do so, but if I have pretty fair reason to think they dont, it will go away. Say if it has another web address on it. Good chance it was "Stolen"

[Jeff]

As a timely example of the way it should be done, I got a request from the Canadian Forest Service just yesterday to use a photo that I posted several years ago, not only here, but on about.com.  They initially found the photo over there and contacted Steve Nix about its use.  Steve then referred them to me.

The picture will be used in a Canadian Forest Service publication on climate change. When granting permission I inquired on what context it would be used and received this reply:

Thanks Jeff - We are in the final stages of putting together a report on climate change impacts on Canadian forestry. The reason we are interested in the picture is that a number of operators in Canada are observing the effects of climate change in the form of shorter and warmer winters. That obviously has implications for winter harvesting on wet sites. We mainly were looking for a photo of what can happen when heavy equipment is on a soggy site. Thanks for giving us permission to use the photo. I'll forward a PDF of the report when its ready for distribution.

Regards

Tim W.


This is the thread where that photo appeared.
https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php/topic,765.0.html

[SwampDonkey]

I like the caption as much, if not more than the photo Jeff.

"One big solid block of Timberjack and beaver droppings" :D :D :D

[Jeff]

I'm pretty sure that was the initial attraction to the Canadian Forest Service as well. :D

[DanG]

I hadn't thought about the Nemo thread in a long time Jeff.  I enjoyed looking at it again.  There were several "extinct" members in there that are still missed around here. :-\

[Jeff]

I wouldn.t call any of the posters extinct. Gordon slipped in just acouple months ago to say hello, LW is known for long absenses. We have members all the time that have changes in circumstance that reappear after long  absenses