Flickr, Creative Commons, Museums and Copyright
I'm posting this because this has been an issue I've been attempting to resolve for a long time. For example, I wrote a very long post in May in which I attempted to figure out the answer, and ended up shrugging with a "still don't know the answer."
The issue, in brief is this: I go to museums and take pictures. Typically, these museums have simple photography policies that state that photography is permitted without the use of a tripod and for personal use only. I then take these pictures, upload them to Flickr, label them, and give them the Creative Commons Share-and-Share-Alike license, which states that others can use them and even modify them, as long as they credit me and, ideally, inform me. What I've pondered - and, in truth, really worried about - for over a year now was if it was legal, under copyright law, for me to do this - especially the Creative Commons part.
( Probably the Answer )
I know, a lot of text for something most people probably don't give a damn about, but this has been a background source of stress for me for around a year, maybe longer (pretty much started when my Flickr account broke 10k pics, not sure when that was) so I'm glad to have it resolved, at least for the moment.
The issue, in brief is this: I go to museums and take pictures. Typically, these museums have simple photography policies that state that photography is permitted without the use of a tripod and for personal use only. I then take these pictures, upload them to Flickr, label them, and give them the Creative Commons Share-and-Share-Alike license, which states that others can use them and even modify them, as long as they credit me and, ideally, inform me. What I've pondered - and, in truth, really worried about - for over a year now was if it was legal, under copyright law, for me to do this - especially the Creative Commons part.
( Probably the Answer )
I know, a lot of text for something most people probably don't give a damn about, but this has been a background source of stress for me for around a year, maybe longer (pretty much started when my Flickr account broke 10k pics, not sure when that was) so I'm glad to have it resolved, at least for the moment.