Radioman Loc: Ontario Canada

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Good question: While there are a lot of valid comments about copyright, there is one important point being missed.

These photographs have been put on this site for you to look at and therefore permission to look at them is implied. I see nothing in the 'uglyhedgehog' rules that limits what computer, internet connected TV, Cell phone, or any other viewing device is used, or where it is used. You could be looking at these pictures in a public location on your cell phone or even a pad or portable computer.

If you like the picture, It is still 'good manners' to contact the owner and let them know that you like it. This kind of feedback is one of the main reasons a person puts their pictures on the site.

fotogk Loc: Tuftonboro, NH

Agree

Lucian Loc: From Wales, living in Ohio

Randymoe...

you and I both know it is wrong and what you gave as an analogy is plain silly.

Lets say you belong to a car club and you go to a weekend car show and take you prized possession to show it off to other members and the public who happen to drop by and take a look.

One of those public people see some really nice shiny engine parts inside the engine bay, because you opened the bonnet (What ever the USA calls the front part)to show it off. Does this mean that it is okay for the public person to remove and spray paint red, that nice piece of chrome work you had on display and install it in their car to show off to their friends who happen to come by the house and take a look in their garage?

And Dorent...

you know it is wrong to steel someone's work off here and display it in your own home after you have printed it. Why don't you look around this list and see that you are the only one who thinks it is okay.

And let me give you a scenario because it appears you have no photos you seem to care about or feel are worthy of being stolen (no disrespect meant).

So Dorent, let's say you post on here what you feel is okay and don't really care who takes it. Now, National Geographic sees your image and loves it. They wish to use it for an annual cover of their magazine. They contact you and want to pay you $20,000 for the use and you say yes and bank the cheque

Then the Wall Street Journal also sees it and they want to feature it on their front cover. However, instead of asking permission and paying, they simply steel it from this site and use it on the cover of their paper but never give you credit as the photographer and they make hundreds of thousands from it.

Then a greeting card firm sees it and simply takes it and makes millions of cards with it and sells it all over the world. Now are you just as happy as you were a few posts ago, to let them just take it from you? And if you say yes, then I will expect you to be just as happy to return the $20,000 you took from Nat. Geographic.

I have two things to say to the original poster... 1. If you like it that much then contact the original maker and offer to buy it, it has so much worth to you that you want to hang it on your wall, therefore that value must have some monetary value to you and you should expect to share that. Don't just ask for it for free, ALWAYS offer to pay for something you feel has value to you.
2. If you think it is that greAT, THEN SIMPLY TELL ALL YOUR FRIENDS AND TAKE THEM TO YOUR COMPUTER AND SHOW THEM THIS AMAZing image on your computer. That way you can be proud to show it off in your own home and no one gets robbed and all are happy. Sorry about the caps lock being stuck on, I type mostly looking at my fingers.

Giving this some thought, it might be said that to show off someone else's work will be fine, but do it in the computer from the originally posted site. If you remove it from the site you have to do something called "COPY" and then "PASTE" what you "COPIED" and then print it.

That should tell you something right there! You "COPIED" someone else's work and then you printed it from your home. Maybe this is the area to address. Feel free to show off the image by going to the web site you found it on and show your family and friends, but if you copy it and print it, that is where you are going wrong and breaking the law.

alann Loc: Virginia

I'm easy. If anyone thinks one of my photos is good enough and they want to hang it in their own home; have at it! I don't shoot for $ anymore and have really lightened up on my concerns.
By the way, CaptainC is dead on! He hit the nail on the head. (as usual) :)

jroby1 Loc: Ohio

Wow! The question is simple. If this is for your home use, simply ask the person who actually took the photograph. The fact that you posted the question shows that you do not want to step on toes or steal someone's work. Perhaps the photographer may ask you to sign a release that states the rights and authorship are still their creative/intellectual property. They might say no, but there is nothing wrong with asking. (Keeping in mind that even if you change it, it is still their creative work)

Cotondog Loc: Saskatchewan, Canada

Great discussion. I am not a pro, but the professional photographer I took classes from a number of months back maintained that a copyright infringement would definitely occur when a similar question was asked in class. So, I agree with the Captain.

steve_stoneblossom Loc: Rhode Island, USA

Why waste time asking the forum, where it is virtually certain one will get a mixture of replies, rather than simply asking the author for permission to reproduce? It appears to me the OP already knows the answer to his/her question and is hoping for justification. The opinion that matters most is the authors.

Tman Loc: Texas

Intersting; it appears to me Max wants to use photos in a home enviroment I have to assume for pure personal enjoyment and not for sale or placed in a general public area for display etc. The "agreement" members had to agree too does state you can not copy, save and/or print material from this site. With all that being said, then why are you able to download photos from this site? When doing so appers to me your giving everyone permission to copy it. Looks like a direct conflict with the agreement.

flyguy Loc: Las Cruces, New Mexico

Absolutely not!!! This is still copy right infringement and stealing "intellectual" property under the law.

Nikocarol Loc: NM & FL

I was taught at a very young age to NOT to take what is not yours.

Asking is however an option.

Bozsik Loc: Orangevale, California

I must have been raised differently than a lot of folks. I learned early on if something isn't mine, it belongs to someone else. Just ask first.

Personally, if someone asked me for one of my photos, I would send them a higher resolution copy for them to alter and print for their usage. I would stipulate that they cannot make copies for others or sell them though.

Jim Plogger Loc: East Tennessee

Max, I believe that you have a moral obligation to ask permission to download and print someone else's work. I never include "download" in my posted images. The best that someone could steal is a low res thumbnail. My standard answer to someone who might request the use of my images is to go to my website where they can be purchased for a very reasonable price.

If you like the image enough to want to frame it and hang on your wall you should be willing to pay for it.

Jim Plogger Loc: East Tennessee

An original food recipe is posted so that someone else CAN use it at no charge. That is the intention of the person providing the recipe. That certainly does not apply to our photographic images. Please reconsider your answer.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Putting a nail in a tree? Are you out of your mind? The Tree Police would be all over you in a flash. :D

Mavenmatt Loc: Titusville Florida

With my lawyer hat on I agree with all the above posts, BUT I’m a realist!! If I have a beloved show car I’m not leaving it unintended in a crime ridden neighborhood late at night and walking away with the motor running ,driver door open with a six pack of beer in the passenger seat and music screaming steal me!!. If I post a picture I have to assume someone is going to use it(Lawyers call it implied consent)!! If I don’t want others to use it i’ll attempt to protect it by either reducing the pixels so that anything larger than a 4x5 will look like crap. OR I’d spent a second and add a watermark to the pic!! If I don’t protect it, and Bernie from Buzzards Breath Wyoming, wants to hang my art on the wall without my permission “Have at it”! The responsibility starts with what and how “you” post( I don’t hide my gold bars in the middle of my drive way)!! There is no one out there who is going to protect you, and that’s what we all have to live with in the big bad internet!!!!