Copyright Law doesn’t need to keep getting ‘updated’ because of new technological advancements. What I think really needs to happen, is a comprehensive re-evaluation of copyright laws to make sense for today’s technologies!!
I was in a lecture Friday; a question posed to the lecturer made me actually realize how much of the copyright doesn’t fit in well with today’s media.
Apparently, it is against copyright law to take a photo of specific buildings in Sweden and put them on the internet. Okay, I understand that just like in Thailand it is illegal to take photos of government buildings however, these aren’t government patrolled like they are in Thailand.
I’m an international student; I’m traveling with my partner and seeing the world. I take a photo of myself in front of a really nice building in Sweden. When I get back home, I dump all my images on Facebook, to share my experience and show my friends and family back home what I’m up to.
Firstly, under copyright law I’m not allowed to upload those images onto the internet because these buildings are copyrighted, but get this ladies and gentle men … I am allowed to; IN GERMANY.
How does that work, anyone can access (if they want to) my images (unless the governments censored your internet to THAT extreme).
Can I go to Germany after I’ve taken the photos and upload them there and it’s all okay?
I know the building is copyrighted but, I’m not about to make a replica of it in my backyard and get tourists to come see it.
Secondly, as soon as my photos are uploaded on my Facebook, they automatically own the copyright to my images. Who owns my images then?
“For content that is covered by intellectual property rights, like photos and videos (“IP content”), you specifically give us the following permission, subject to your privacy and application settings: you grant us a non-exclusive, transferable, sub-licensable, royalty-free, worldwide license to use any IP content that you post on or in connection with Facebook …”
BUT WAIT, THERE’S STILL MORE!!
“When you publish content or information using the “everyone” setting, it means that everyone, including people off of Facebook, will have access to that information and we may not have control over what they do with it.”
You know, I guess you can always just reference and make sure you have correct sources for everything.
But, are you sure you’ve got the correct source?
Wow that is interesting! Have you heard of the book “Free culture” by Lawrence Lessig? I think you’d like it.
I agree with you, but I also actually think that update the copyright laws would be really useful anyway.
I really like your post, it’s a clear example that copyright needs a re-evaluation, as you say.
I like this! Totally agree with you, they need to update the laws!