Is anything you put on MySpace public property? Pictures of woman in Spitzer case splashed about with Reuters taking credit
Editor K.'s note:
I hope most people have seen enough and know enough that anything you put online can be used by others, even against you. A mayor in Oregon recently lost her job due to somewhat racy pictures she had posted on MySpace a few years before she ran for, and was elected to, office. She forgot to take them down... and that apparently took her down.
A great many people are very web-saavy but seem not to realize the potential pitfalls of placing their pics or info online. BUT what is really weird is to see what is happening with the woman in the Spitzer prostitution case.
Reuters is putting out the photos with tags like this:
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I hope most people have seen enough and know enough that anything you put online can be used by others, even against you. A mayor in Oregon recently lost her job due to somewhat racy pictures she had posted on MySpace a few years before she ran for, and was elected to, office. She forgot to take them down... and that apparently took her down.
A great many people are very web-saavy but seem not to realize the potential pitfalls of placing their pics or info online. BUT what is really weird is to see what is happening with the woman in the Spitzer prostitution case.
Reuters is putting out the photos with tags like this:
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This undated photo of Ashley Alexandra Dupre is from a myspace.com web page. The New York Times reported that Dupre is "Kristen," the prostitute described in a federal affidavit as having had a rendezvous with New York Governor Eliot Spitzer on February 13, 2008 at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, DC. Spitzer, who came into office in 2007 promising to clean up state politics, announced his resignation Wednesday. REUTERS/myspace.com (UNITED STATES). FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NOT FOR SALE FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS..
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It is interesting to see it listed as REUTERS/myspace.com. That implies MySpace owns the rights somehow. Now these photos can be used and designated 'for Editorial Use only.'
At what point has this crossed copyrights of the person who originally took the photo and now can be claimed by news organizations or MySpace with the admonition not to use it for marketing, but to put it anywhere they want (with the copyright apparently being given to MySpace)?
I know people may have no clue who took these photos originally, and this young woman has now become part of an intense news story. I am just making a note of how easy it is for something like a picture, or several, posted on MySpace or anywhere on the web, to become part of a news story. Likely there has not been a line crossed legally; it is just a good reminder of what exactly may be considered PUBLIC DOMAIN.
Hopefully it reminds all of us to be careful with both our personal info and pics, and also mindful of copyrights or lack thereof.
It is interesting to see it listed as REUTERS/myspace.com. That implies MySpace owns the rights somehow. Now these photos can be used and designated 'for Editorial Use only.'
At what point has this crossed copyrights of the person who originally took the photo and now can be claimed by news organizations or MySpace with the admonition not to use it for marketing, but to put it anywhere they want (with the copyright apparently being given to MySpace)?
I know people may have no clue who took these photos originally, and this young woman has now become part of an intense news story. I am just making a note of how easy it is for something like a picture, or several, posted on MySpace or anywhere on the web, to become part of a news story. Likely there has not been a line crossed legally; it is just a good reminder of what exactly may be considered PUBLIC DOMAIN.
Hopefully it reminds all of us to be careful with both our personal info and pics, and also mindful of copyrights or lack thereof.
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