Copyright anger
Got today a photograph of my godson. It's wonderful, and it makes me happy. He looks adorable.
But what makes me very angry is the backside of the picture. It says (rough translation):
"According to the copyright law, a photographer has a copyright also on any commissioned work. Due to this, digitization or other copying is prohibited without the explicit permission of the photographer."
This is utter copyright bullshit. Not only it would mean that I couldn't legally scan the picture and store it in that format, which definitely would count as deep infringement of my consumer rights, it is also blatantly wrong. The Finnish copyright law, § 49a does say that a photographer has copyright on pictures, but it also says that "private copying is allowed under paragraphs 1 and 2 of § 12." And actually, in a whole lot of other exceptions. Even under the new law.
I find it very dangerous that people use copyright law as a general club to claim all rights, including those that they are not entitled to. Copyright law exists to prevent other people from gaining from your work, which is why publishing and selling copies is regulated. But consumers have rights, too - and one of them is the right not to ask for permission every single time you need to breathe, move, talk to other people, or scan a photo you have purchased.
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| "Main_blogentry_181105_2" last changed on 18-Nov-2005 16:44:03 EET by JanneJalkanen. |
Comments
Tästä onkin sitten niin mukava keskustella tuottajien kanssa.Yritin siis keväällä tiedustella Yleltä, miksi Ylen tv-sarjojen DVD-julkaisuissa kielletään kopiointi (ja muitakin asioita), vaikka laki selvästi antaa oikeuden tehdä julkaistusta teoksesta kopion. Vastauksena tuli, että ostaessa dvd:n teen sopimuksen, jonka mukaan luovun tästä oikeudesta.
Kysyin toki sitten, missä vaiheessa teen sopimuksen, jos saan levyn lainaan tai lahjaksi. Vastausta en ole vieläkään saanut.
Selvästi nykyinenkään tekijänoikeuslainsäädäntö ei ole kenellekään kovin selvä, ei tekijöille, väliportaille eikä kuluttajille. Harmi, että uusi laki on vielä sotkuisempi...
--Pare, 18-Nov-2005
Jep, tämähän ei pidä paikkansa: yksipuolinen, toisen osapuolen kirjoittama sitoumus ei tietenkään päde...
--JanneJalkanen, 18-Nov-2005
Mutta katsos, näenhän minä sen sopimustekstin pienellä präntättynä dvd-levyn kannessa.
--Pare, 18-Nov-2005
Mutta eipä sillä ole väliä: http://www.digitoday.fi/showPage.php?page_id=14&news_id=50335
--JanneJalkanen, 18-Nov-2005
Not *quite* the same topic but...
Quite often I get gas companies coming to my door (in Manchester) to try and get me to buy gas and electricity from them. That in itself isn't too annoying. They have all sorts of comparison charts to persuade you. But then they expect you to sign a contract there and then, saying you can cancel within 14 days or so. Of course, I won't do that. Instead, I give them a chance to sell to me and say if he'll give me their price list, I'll take a look in my own time and compare it with my current provider's last bills, and call them if I want to take them up on it. They *never* will do that though, I suppose they prefer the company to lose out on a customer if they can't get their commission.
However, one salesman said he couldn't give me a copy of their price list because of the data protection act! That's right! I corrected him on this, saying the act is to protect people's data (e.g. my data) and why would that mean he can't give me a copy of *their* prices, which after all is published on their website! He just said, "oh, well someone must've told me the wrong thing". Pah. I think it was British Gas. Needless to say I turned him and his rubbish gas away.
--Hugo, 20-Nov-2005
Yes, the more abstract the subject of the law becomes, the more difficult it is for the layman to understand it.
--JanneJalkanen, 20-Nov-2005