Do you use a creative commons license on your Flickr photos. Do you even know what it is? Well very basically it is a license that you grant that allows non-profit use and sharing of your photography (More Info).
Why am I talking about it now?, well the legal strength of the idea has just been put to test in court. Adam Curry the ‘POD father’ has recently taken to court a Dutch magazine for publishing pictures from his Flickr account. The magazine apparently thought that since the photos were on the internet they could do whatever they liked.
So did Adam win his case? Well let’s just say he didn’t lose. The creative commons was upheld but the magazine got away with a fine. There was no real deterrant to stop this happening again. And you and me won’t have the resources to fight back like Adam did.
Thanks for standing up for us dude
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So yet again the courts prove that money talks. He did the right thing taking it to court and fighting this battle but for the rest of us as you say creative commons clearly offers zero protection. Kind of a slap in the face. Unless you are a record company or a millionaire kiss your intellectual property goodbye.
But he did win.
This was the netherlands where to court system is Different. The virdict is decided by the judge not a jury.
I wonder what will happen in a jury court.
Good point about it being netherlands, maybe would be different here or US but I doubt it would have been very different. The main thing is they could have paid more for photographs through legitimate channels but they chose to steal and were not punished for it enough to persuade anyone to not follow their lead. Had he not been wealthy they wouldnt have even this slap on the wrist.
They we’re scum they where picture of his kids and they published the route his kids take to work.
scum scum scum.
yup and the court dismissed that!