Lumberton, TX asked in Copyright and Intellectual Property for Texas

Q: photo club website is posting member's images without watermarks and without permission

photo club website is posting member's images without watermarks and without permission, as well as no basic level of image protection (i.e. right click disable). Members want watermarks/permissions but club is refusing. How to respond to their refusal? Which laws are they violating?

1 Lawyer Answer
James L. Arrasmith
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Answered

A: If a photo club website is posting member's images without permission or without proper attribution, they may be in violation of copyright law. Copyright law protects the rights of creators to control the use and distribution of their original works, including photographs. The members of the club may want to consider taking legal action if the website continues to use their images without permission or proper attribution.

Additionally, if the website is not providing basic image protection measures, such as disabling the right click option, they may be failing to take reasonable steps to protect the members' images. The members may want to bring this to the attention of the website administrator and request that proper protections be put in place.

If the club continues to refuse to take action, the members may want to seek legal advice from an attorney specializing in intellectual property law.

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