Copyright Question

Status
Not open for further replies.

JuliePgh

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 14, 2005
Messages
283
Reaction score
2
Website
juliekcohen.com
I'm developing a website for an author who self published. I asked her for a photo of her book for the site. She wants me to take the picture of her book off of Amazon's site. I thought this would be a copyright problem since she didn't take the actual photo, but someone (I'm guessing Amazon staff) did.

Even though she owns the books, wouldn't the copyright of the picture belong to the one who took or bought rights to the picture?
 

Richard

13th Triskaidekaphobe
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 12, 2005
Messages
1,868
Reaction score
316
Location
England
Website
www.richardcobbett.co.uk
I'm pretty sure that the publishers submit the images to Amazon. More pressingly, the photos on it are usually fairly low quality - you ideally want the original just to make the site look better.
 

Ella

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Mar 8, 2005
Messages
267
Reaction score
47
Location
British Columbia, Canada
Website
sumptuosity.blogspot.com
If the POD printer did not submit the cover photo, I'm not sure this is something Amazon does on their own. It is the publisher or author's responsibility.
If you used the graphic, there's pretty much no way to tell who actually scanned it in. No big worries there. And if you are a web designer, you should be able to scan it and create your own image. *wink*
 

Mike Coombes

Guru
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Mar 6, 2005
Messages
774
Reaction score
58
Location
UK
Website
writers.ktf-design.com
Technically you may be infringing someone's copyright, but the image is, after all, a reproduction of an image originated by someone other than amazon.

There is a way around it - make sure your author's signed up to the Amazon affiliate scheme then post a link complete with image - an example's on Sharon Maas's site anout half way down on the left. Annoyingly they display second hand prices too, but no way around that.

Is it not possible just to scan the cover or photograph it? You'll get a better reproduction.
 

veinglory

volitare nequeo
Self-Ban
Registered
Joined
Feb 12, 2005
Messages
28,750
Reaction score
2,933
Location
right here
Website
www.veinglory.com
I agree, it isn't a photo really as the photogrpaher hasn't had artistic input--but making a new scan will produce a better image.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.