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Legality of Taking Screen Grabs from TV

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Hi Guys

I don't do illegal stuff, but I was wondering what the legality of taking a screen grab from a TV show is and using it on a blog or whatever, any ideas? I would imagine you can't do this because the producer owns the copyright?

What about if you take a photo of your own TV displaying a TV show, is that legal?

Thanks :cool:
 
http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/copyright-fair-use-and-how-it-works-for-online-images/

Fairly useful info with this link. Been looking into this myself recently, and here's how far I've go so far though others may know more.

Although the article is about online images what you are doing falls pretty much under 'fair use' or 'fair usage'.

Quick summary is you can take any image and use it for purposes to in short don't imply it's YOUR image. So lets say you took a screen shot and used it on your website saying this is a screen shot from this blah blah show that was on this blah blah date. That pretty much falls under fair usage. Your making it blatantly clear it's not your image, your offering the source of the image and you are using it within the 'fair use' context.

You are even entitled to help yourself to portion of video if you felt like it.

Where you are likely to be asking for trouble is if you pass on the image as your own work or even leave doubt about that. Or you use the image in a manner that is misleading or leads to a misleading impression about the creator of the image, their intentions re. the image and all the rest of it.

But to cut a long story short, the internet would shut down without 'fair' use. Every tube site, image gallery, and so on is more or less covered by fair use.

Read an article the other day saying even the top News publications don't bother seeking permission for the vast majority of images they use and simply ignore cease and desist requests.

The trick is generally to compliment or promote the creator of the image. That's what affiliate networking is based on. You can get a screen grab of say a pair of Nike trainers, and suffer no consequence as long as you are actually promoting them for instance or in some other way being complimentary or whatever information positive or bad you apply to the image better be accurate.

And it's the latter you need to consider. It's not using the image, it's making sure the how you use it is true and accurate or you can in i'd imagine rare cases risk defamation.

I read for instance Perez Hilton is only a fraction as rich as he ought to be cos he spends most of his time fighting lawsuits regarding the images and articles on this website. But this is obviously cos most of the stuff and the manner in which he uses it ISN'T complimentary or from the point of view of his accusers isn't even accurate.

There's also a precedence that says for example if you happen to be in the business of selling second hand Ford cars then you're allowed to use 'Ford' in marketing. You're allowed to use Ford images and so on. What you are not allowed to do is pass yourself off to imply you are Ford however or that you created those images or own that trademark. Nor are you allowed to use Ford's trademark and images/video etc in isolation. As in that's the only content you provide. It would have to be merely a portion.
 
And with the new laws you can take a multitude of images/clips bundle them together and call it parody...
 
So long as you reference where it comes from you will most likely be ok. You can always pull it if asked to
 
Save yourself the potential hassle, from bad forum advice regarding copyright, which will be no defence in court, and contact the production company (at the end of the shows credits normally) and ask them for a press pack.
 
Thanks for the replies. Good idea about press packs. Interesting. For instance, I've seen there are press packs available for the X-Factor.

I think the best strategy for video, as is my attitude to photos, is to create my own. Ultimately, that is the best thing to be doing.

Rgds
 
Save yourself the potential hassle, from bad forum advice regarding copyright, which will be no defence in court, and contact the production company (at the end of the shows credits normally) and ask them for a press pack.

You always get this post. Err don't listen to any advice in cos it's just a forum. Makes me wonder if you believe he's accidentally mistaken AcornDomains for the Digital Image Legal Helpline .gov when he opened this thread?????
 
Save yourself the potential hassle, from bad forum advice regarding copyright, which will be no defence in court

What will he need to defend in court?

From what I understand all he is going to do is use a screen shot in some type of review for the show/product on his blog

Let's be realistic, no one will ever contact him and at worst if they did he would be made to take the screen shot down, but that will never happen, so it's not a problem and a waste of time to worry about.
 
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