Let’s Publish a Coffee Table Book.

[Elsinore]

Thanks for the inclusion 🙂 I will get my forms and photos to you asap. I started on page 8 & will go back and check the first 8 pages, but I’m assuming this will be done via a self publishing company? Also, if a picture chosen for the book has people in it, do you need a release form from those people? Mine would be easy enough to get since it’s my nephew, but I wanted to mention it for anyone else who may have shots with people in them…

From a legal perspective, as far as I know, yes you’d need a model release (Drew may or may not be aware of this). And as chakalakasp mentioned, property releases *might* be required. However, it’s my understanding that if you’re standing on public property taking pictures of something/some place, you should be fine. I do know someone who broke into foreclosed houses to do a foreclosure series, and while she was clearly breaking the law to create her project, the local alt-weekly had no problems with printing those photos, so there may be an “art’s sake” argument protecting non-people type photos.

[Kestrana]

Awesome

And as promised a .pdf of the initial layout that I put together with input from Joe
I ganked all the images from the FSM or the contest threads and am just using this for planning purposes and the text on the cover is just temporary. Of course if you don’t give us permission for a picture it won’t be used.

http://www.kestrana.com/Farkbookv1.pdf

Looks good. I would suggest reworking the copyright notice. Saying it’s copyright to you, Drew Curtis, and Fark suggests you, Drew, and Fark own the photo copyrights, which obviously isn’t the case. I think it would probably be worded along the lines of “text copyright Kestrana, Drew, and Fark. All photos copyright their respective photographers who reserve all rights.”

You may or may also want/need a separate page at the back of the book listing the photos/titles/photographers for copyright notice. I’ve seen that in coffee table type books, but Joe would probably know more about that.

Good note about the copyright, I will change that.
We already planned for an index to support the copyright notice as you’ve suggested, if needed, and also so people can find their pictures quickly.

[linguine]

Also, monkeybort: Are you in contact with veruca? She used to be on my FB but disappeared, and she deleted her Flickr, so I don’t have contact with her anymore. Might have an email somewhere, though.

I’ve got an email address for veruca that was good 5 years ago if you want to try that.

[Elsinore]

Yeah that’s probably the one I have.

[Kestrana]

My records indicate I was able to get an email address for Veruca as well so we’ll see if they reply.

[linguine]

Anyone know if any of these people’s fark handles match up to a different user on farktography.net or want to claim them (sorry if I don’t know who you are)?

continental_sausage
DARkNikon
Didgeridon’t
dompydude
hackhix
JohnBEsq
keerok35
laststarfighter
MaestroBen
myzdoxae
New Age Redneck
Queen Mab
ratty20
southernbelladonna

Would Drew have their email addresses from them signing up for fark? He may not be allowed to give them to us but you could probably give Drew the list and the email thats being sent out and have him or one of the fark mods email them.

[lokisbong]

So should I wait till I get the updated version of the release form? The version I got earlier has copyright stuff in the language. No problem for me if so.
I also have not been able to find a bigger than 640 by 480 on one of mine. It seems I didn’t know much about save as vs save in feb. of 08. is that a prob?

[Elsinore]

Would Drew have their email addresses from them signing up for fark? He may not be allowed to give them to us but you could probably give Drew the list and the email thats being sent out and have him or one of the fark mods email them.

Yeah most likely. As long as their email is up to date with Fark.

[olavf]

I know southernbelladona via facebook. I can ping her and have her email you kestrana?

[olavf]

Thanks for the inclusion 🙂 I will get my forms and photos to you asap. I started on page 8 & will go back and check the first 8 pages, but I’m assuming this will be done via a self publishing company? Also, if a picture chosen for the book has people in it, do you need a release form from those people? Mine would be easy enough to get since it’s my nephew, but I wanted to mention it for anyone else who may have shots with people in them…

From a legal perspective, as far as I know, yes you’d need a model release (Drew may or may not be aware of this). And as chakalakasp mentioned, property releases *might* be required. However, it’s my understanding that if you’re standing on public property taking pictures of something/some place, you should be fine. I do know someone who broke into foreclosed houses to do a foreclosure series, and while she was clearly breaking the law to create her project, the local alt-weekly had no problems with printing those photos, so there may be an “art’s sake” argument protecting non-people type photos.

As this is an ‘art book’ and not for commercial or political purposes, my understanding is that the rule is ‘reasonable expectation of privacy’. So, anything easily accessible to the public is fair game. That’s the way I read the copyright laws anyhow (and I’ve read them several times, because of all the pictures I take of random people). IANAL though.

[linguine]

Have you talked with the publisher about the form? I wouldn’t be surprised if they either had something already for this or would want their lawyers to write something up or at least look over whatever we’re using to grant permission to use our photographs.

[Kestrana]

Here’s one question answered about the legal issues:

When it comes to having a model release or property release we will not be requiring you to have either. You are still the copyright holder, we are merely licensing your copyright for this publication. The current version of the release absolves me, Drew and fark from any liability that might be incurred on your part from having the picture published. That means if you think your model, setting or subject matter might get you into trouble, you need to take care of that on your own by obtaining whatever sort of release you feel is necessary.

The legal form I’m using isn’t one of my own creation. It’s from the National Association of Press Photographers and is adapted to fit our needs by cutting out a section about how any text accompanying the photograph that may put you in a negative light blah blah blah wasn’t needed here. Where it says “the full rights to use such photographs and copyright same” I am told we need that language in order to obtain a copyright for the book because we are copyrighting the photographs in your name, and we need your permission to do that. The bottom line is, you are basically licensing your photographs to me for the book and I don’t care what you do with them otherwise nor do I have any intention of doing anything else with them, we just have to have a form. If we were self-publishing the form would basically say “yes i let you use my pictures” and that would be it.

If you are uncomfortable with anything in the legal release, don’t sign it yet. I’m waiting on responses back to earlier questions.

[Kestrana]

Have you talked with the publisher about the form? I wouldn’t be surprised if they either had something already for this or would want their lawyers to write something up or at least look over whatever we’re using to grant permission to use our photographs.

I have no direct contact with the publisher, only through Drew but I’ve sent the earlier questions on to him.

[doublesecretprobation]

hey there, got the message, i’m totally in. is there a summary of what you need us to do? sorry don’t really want to sift through 13 pages 🙂

[LeicaLens]

Kestrana
I’m flying off to France in about 10 hours time, and I will be without internet access for at least a week, more likely a fortnight. When do you need the release forms and photographs?

(I have also replied to your PM, but I am not sure if you got it. So I will say it here again: thank you SO much for all the work you are putting in on this book. It is most appreciated and admired).

[Author]

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