UK Copyright Infringement for 'Similar' Photographs

A word of warning to all the British photographers out there. Temple Island Collection, a souvenir company, has recently won a court case for copyright infringement against New English Teas for their use of a photo that they claimed copied the style and composition of their image.

Although the image isn't directly copied, the Judge ruled that the images of the red bus on the black and white background of the Houses of Parliament had too many similarities and that the New English Teas image (bottom) was an infringement on the original photographers 'intellectual creation' (top).

Whilst most people believe that this is a step too far and that it makes taking photos somewhere as widely known as London quite difficult, I'd like to point out that it does have positive repercussions for photographers. You may be aware of the difficulties many photographers face today in trying to sell their work as digital cameras have made photography available to more and more people who will happily give away work for free. There have been multiple cases of companies being refused photos for free by photographers, only to take the image without permission and edit it slightly then use it royalty free.

I'm not saying I either agree or disagree with the Judges decision, but it is slightly comforting to know that if someone tried to reproduce any of my own work so as to avoid paying me, I would have the law on my side.

The War At F-Stop Ridge

Just under a year ago, Canadian camera shop 'The Camera Store' released and advert called 'Battle at F-Stop Ridge'. It didn't take long to go viral, and now its been watched by photographers all over the world. Now they have just released a sequel in hope to continue the exposure (sorry about the pun!) that the first one generated for them. So here they are, for you're convenience, 'The Battle At F-Stop Ridge 1&2'.

D.I.Y. Photography

I just came across the great little film about Wet Plate Photographer Dana Geraths, a man who not only shoots wet plate photography, but also makes his own cameras.Its certainly worth a watch if you're interested in old photographic processes, or beautiful cameras.

It also got me thinking about my own traditional cameras and photographic techniques, so I thought I'd share a little about my experiences in making my own cameras.

CES 2012 Highlights

Fujifilm X-Pro1

After watching all the news coming out of CES 2012 in Las Vegas, it seems to be a good year for cameras. Fujifilm have announced the X-Pro1, the next in the line following on from the X10 and the very popular X100. Whilst this was not much of a surprise, the specs simply match up to those that were leaked shortly before, it was still eagerly anticipated as many people will be pleased that they have included interchangeable lenses.

Compact System Cameras: Beginner or Professional?

St. Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin - Shot on the Sony NEX 3.

The NEX proves a bit easier to pack than its bigger brother.

You may have noticed over the past year or two the rise in popularity of Micro 4/3rds or Compact System Cameras (CSC's). The recent release of the Nikon 1 leaves just Canon left to add their product to the market, with Sony, Olympus, and Panasonic having quite a head start. Earlier this year I purchased the Sony NEX 3 with 16mm lens so that I could carry a camera around with me without compromising quality or any manual control. Not long after purchase I went off to Dublin for a few days, so I thought that it would be a great chance to test out the NEX and see just how well it could live up to my more bulky Sony Alpha DSLR.

If you've ever flown anywhere you'll be aware of the strict regulations regarding luggage, so its important to be able to fit everything into your bag. As you can see from the picture opposite packing my DSLR took up a large portion of my bag whilst the NEX simply fitted in on top. Being the first time I'd visited Dublin, and not having much time before hand to test the NEX's abilities, I decided that I would take both cameras with me, and by the end of the trip decide whether or not the NEX could be a suitable replacement for future endeavours.

November 30th Strikes

Wednesday saw possibly the largest one day strike since the winter of discontent. Members of over 30 public sector unions downed tools and took to the streets in protest over planned changes to their pension schemes. The government claims that as people are now living longer the changes are unavoidable, especially at a time of such economic distress, when the whole country needs to tighten their belts. Union leaders are arguing that under the proposed plans workers will have to work longer, pay more, and recieve less, and that it is unfair that the public sector should have to foot the bill for a crisis they did not create whilst bankers get away with huge bonuses.