Is this ethical??

[Sispecho]

Hello clubsnappers, i might need to gather your opinion.

I recently stumbled upon this website www.julian.li and i thoroughly enjoyed his works. I saw some images that i may want to use in my facebook account, to illustrate my note that i intend to publish on my facebook account.

I have no idea how to contact him so i left a message on his guestbook.
The website was last manned on April 2006 so im afraid it might have already been abandoned.
Should i get no reply, do you think its ok if i just continue but leave a reference to the source?
My conscience thinks otherwise.

Or better still if anyone of you knows Julian would you kindly arrange to put us in touch??

Thank you, i appreciate your valuable feedback.

 

[Jed]

Strictly speaking the law also thinks otherwise. Otherwise a photograph you see with no contact information attached also has an author that is "uncontactable". So no, an author being uncontactable doesn't clear you from copyright responsibilities.

There might be other reasons you could use images, mainly those that fall under the fair use category. For specifics you will need to find out what the situation is with legislation in your area. Or his, for that matter.

 

[limwhow]

I am just wondering, Jed.
If TS Sispecho uses, say, 2 of julian.li's photos on his Facebook account, and labels these photos as copyright of julian.li, would that contravene conventional copyright law?

 

[Jed]

Yes.

Under the caveat that I am a little rusty with the complexities of Internet legislation which also changes all the time. But what you propose essentially is no different from making a copy of a photograph with "© Person A" at the bottom right hand corner, and keeping that text there. Or making a complete copy of a book including the author's name and copyright information.

That acknowledgement that it belongs to someone else doesn't change the fact that you have made a copy without the owner's permission.

 

[Sispecho]

Yes.

Under the caveat that I am a little rusty with the complexities of Internet legislation which also changes all the time. But what you propose essentially is no different from making a copy of a photograph with "© Person A" at the bottom right hand corner, and keeping that text there. Or making a complete copy of a book including the author's name and copyright information.

That acknowledgement that it belongs to someone else doesn't change the fact that you have made a copy without the owner's permission.

I agree,

Though the photos are 'abandoned' it doesnt mean its free game for everyone. thanks both jed and limhow for clearing up the issue for me.

 

[limwhow]

Yes.

Under the caveat that I am a little rusty with the complexities of Internet legislation which also changes all the time. But what you propose essentially is no different from making a copy of a photograph with "© Person A" at the bottom right hand corner, and keeping that text there. Or making a complete copy of a book including the author's name and copyright information.

That acknowledgement that it belongs to someone else doesn't change the fact that you have made a copy without the owner's permission.

Yeah... the way you explained it clears any bit of left-over doubts in my mind about the legitimacy of that action.
Great to have you clarify these points for us.

 

[Jed]

The Internet, and computing as well I guess, cause a raft of problems for legislators everywhere I guess sometimes people view it almost as a separate entity.

But take for instance, when you view an image on someone's website, you are making a number of copies anyway. For example it would get stored on your computers RAM, your harddisk as part of your browser's cache, your video card's memory...

 

[night86mare]

I am just wondering, Jed.
If TS Sispecho uses, say, 2 of julian.li's photos on his Facebook account, and labels these photos as copyright of julian.li, would that contravene conventional copyright law?

of course it will.

 

[TheStig]

Can't you just cite the web address below the photograph? That's what I did if I wanted to include a picture in my presentation when I was still in college. That's what my instructor told me to do. When you wanna cite someone's quote, you don't have to contact the person, right? Just credit the source, I guess.

 

[allenleonhart]

Can't you just cite the web address below the photograph? That's what I did if I wanted to include a picture in my presentation when I was still in college. That's what my instructor told me to do. When you wanna cite someone's quote, you don't have to contact the person, right? Just credit the source, I guess.

same here. currently doing college. i wrote my thesis and i quoted from various sources, then i had to do a long bibilography as requested by my mentor

 

[limwhow]

of course it will.

Yes, thanks for confirming this, night86mare.

 

[JulianLi]

Hi I dont post here that often, but my website (which is still active) pointed me here as a source of traffic to my site

Does the original poster want to tell me which 2 photos he wants to use of mine. Ive searched though my guestbook and dont see anyone contacting me about using them

Julian.