White House Claims Copyright On Flickr Photos

Hugh Pickens writes "US government policy is that photos produced by federal employees as part of their job responsibilities are not subject to copyright in the US. But Kathy Gill writes that after originally putting official White House photos in the public domain, since January the Obama White House has been asserting that no one but 'news organizations' can use its Flickr photos taken by the official White House photographer, who is a US government employee. This change appears to be a heavy-handed response to last month's controversy resulting from a billboard that implied the President endorsed The Weatherproof Garment Co. after the company used an AP photo of the president for a Times Square billboard. However a New York law already protects individuals from unauthorized use of their image for advertising, and the billboard was quickly taken down. Gill writes, 'Whatever the reason, the assertion of these "rights" seems to be in direct contrast to official government policy and is certainly in direct contrast to reasonable expectations by the public, given that the photos are being produced with taxpayer (i.e., public) money. Ironically, the same Flickr page that claims (almost exclusive) copyright also links to the US copyright policy statement.'"

Comments

Re:Left Something Out

[Khyber]

Wow, I make a smart-ass remark and you ignorant fucks can't even see the joke.

"Ah yes! An Obamaite screaming "Pay not attention to the man behind the curtain!""

I'm not an Obamaite, you driveling republican piece of shit. I belong to a political party with more brains and sense than you or your ilk will EVER possess in your lifetime. Fuck you Democraps and you Republitards and Liberturdians. You're all a bunch of useless fucks.