Anniversary Book!!! (No images in this thread, please)

[fotografr]

Originally Posted by wattsy

The need for obtaining model releases has nothing to do with where photographs are taken. It is all about what usage the photographs are being used for - i.e. whether for commercial/advertising or editorial purposes. Books fall into the latter category and images used for that purpose do not require releases.

There is one sticky point with this that may need a legal professional to look into. When photographs are used to promote a product or service, a written release is required (at least, in the US). It could possibly be argued that the purpose of this book is to promote the Leica M8.

[stunsworth]

Originally Posted by wparsonsgisnet

How about we say:

Copyright 2008, members of the Leica User Forum

Do you suppose we need permission for Leica to say this?

No idea if permission is required by Leica or not, but I think naming the "Leica User Forum" as being the copyright owner has to be wrong. The copyright belongs to the original photographer not a group of people, especially when "Leica User Forum" could be taken to mean any member of the forum.

I don't have the LUG yearbook with me, but I think it stated that copyright was retained by the original photographer. I'll have a look on Friday and let you know.

[wparsonsgisnet]

Brent, I don't see how publishing the book benefits Leica or us. All the SLR users out there will still sneer at RF users. We're getting *nothing* from Leica.

Steve et al, how about we say "Copyright: the individual photographers"

We need an attorney who handles intellectual property -- or knows the answer. LUF members have published book before this. What copyright notice did they use?

[stunsworth]

Bill, there's a preview of the last LUG book here...

LUG Yearbook 2007 | By The Leica Users Group | Category: Arts & Photography | Blurb

The copyright text refers to the book and photograph and says...

"Copyright 2008 Leica Users Group (LUG). All photographs have been reproduced with the permission of each contributor. Copyrights in the individual works belong to the respective contributors."

[wparsonsgisnet]

Thanks, Steve.

All contibutors: how about we use exactly the same words?

[luigi bertolotti]

Originally Posted by wparsonsgisnet

Brent, I don't see how publishing the book benefits Leica or us. All the SLR users out there will still sneer at RF users. We're getting *nothing* from Leica.

Steve et al, how about we say "Copyright: the individual photographers"

We need an attorney who handles intellectual property -- or knows the answer. LUF members have published book before this. What copyright notice did they use?

Bill, I think that the simply phrase :
"All the published pictures are property of the respective authors"
ought to be sufficient to clear the copyright issue.

Plus the usual phrase "any part of this book cannot be copied by any mean etc..."

[wparsonsgisnet]

Thanks, Luigi. I'll post all these details so we all know what's coming down.

Nice article, i mio amico.

[delander]

There are two copyrights involved? The copyright relating to the individual owners and the copyright relating to the design work of the book. The LUG copyright phrase seems to cover both these.

Also the accompanying text to each photograph is presumably someone's work (the photographer).

If it is a standard book design (ie no special design work), then perhaps all that is necessary is for the photographer's pictures and text to be copyrighted.

Jeff

[delander]

What printing technology will be used for the book. Print on demand uses a version of inkjet printing not the normal offset litho used to produce quality books.

Jeff

[wparsonsgisnet]

According to Blurb.com,

Commercial-quality — Books feature four-color printing on 80# coated, semi-matte paper.

Please visit the website to see what these guys can do. While you're there you can also see what options there are for formats of pages.

Feel free to download their free software and experiment with formatting. All advice taken kindly.

[wparsonsgisnet]

Based on the page count of 165 at the moment (4 weeks to deadline, and counting), we're below 120 pages, so the price is $30 (soft) and $38 (hard).

This means we'll have one image for every page (both sides). I'm working on getting the page number in the corner of the page.

For every thing that becomes clearer, two new murky issues arise....

[wparsonsgisnet]

As of last night, we have 70 posters with 163 photos total. That's a book of more than 300 pages the way I have formatted it, so I think we have to have pix on both the left and right pages.

Let me try some pix with numbers in the page corner.

Now, three people have posted more than 3 pix:
JLANCASTERD, in posts 22, 89, 110, 143, and 147, for a total of 7,
PELIKAN1931, in posts 31, 43, and 124, for a total of 9, and
CARYLWITHAY,in posts 87, 95, 112/114, and 160, for a total of 4.

Don't do anything yet, but you'll need to select 3 pix for the book.

I appeal to Linda Hanson, whose fourth picture (posted as a demonstration, not an official choice, I take it) is so wonderful that I would like to see it in the book. Linda, if you wish, select any 3 of the 4.

[stunsworth]

Jeff I'd describe the quality as high end magazine or better. Not as good as a 'proper' photo book, but pretty good all the same. Their printing seems to have improved over the last 12 months or so.

I believe they're printed on high end laser printers rather than inkjet.

Actually reading this article is looks like some kind of hybrid...

So You Want to Publish That Novel

[wparsonsgisnet]

There were a couple of questions in the photo thread. The following info is added as a result:

Hint:

The submission deadline is May 18. end of day. Until that time, you can post your pix and/or change your mind. A couple of posters have already indicated a change of pic.

[earleygallery]

If I may - as I have no interest in this project, not being an M8 user - but I would suggest that model release forms are simply not necessary here.

The book is for the individual members of the forum who participate, the images are not going to be published as part of an editorial or advertisement, it is really no different to posting the images here in the first place surely? Andreas doesn't insist on model release forms before we post images so why are they required simply because you are producing the same images in printed form?

[andybarton]

I agree with James.

Given that this is "vanity publishing" (in the nicest possible way), model release forms seem to be completely over the top.

This is a collection of photos by a group, for only group consumption. This book is not being "published", it's being printed.

For the group.

A lawyer may see this differently, of course. They probably will, if you pay them £500 an hour...

[wparsonsgisnet]

James, I believe we will be able to buy these books directly, so the controls you suggest may not be in place.

Secondly, as I am responsible to a certain degree, I would like to have the releases in hand.

I realize this is a pain in the butt. So is litigation. So is the ligitiginous atmosphere of the US.

[Gareth2]

I would hate to become a part of this discussion but I think James has a valid point, for a different reason. As I was reading through the posts it occurred to me that if the book is solely for private use are model release forms necessary.

As an example, if I were to put together 12 of my best photos for a calendar to give to family would I need a model release form? There's no commercial benefit to be gained from sending out the calendar.

Why not just ask Blurb for their input, this can't be the first time they have been asked the question and would need the answer as the printer surely?

[wattsy]

Originally Posted by andybarton

Given that this is "vanity publishing" (in the nicest possible way), model release forms seem to be completely over the top.

Whether the publication is vanity or not is irrelevant. When considering whether model releases are necessary or not, the key (and, frankly, only) issue is whether the proposed usage is editorial or commercial/advertising.

[Gareth2]

Andy, I was typing my response as you posted yours. Great minds think alike.............and fools rarely differ as well unfortunately.

Easily solved problem for you Bill, get somebody outside of the US to place the order.