Article on right of publicity

[Daniel D. Teoli Jr.]

Article on right of publicity.

Lawyer & photographer gives the scoop on candid photography with no model release.

https://alj.artrepreneur.com/is-street-photography-legal/

 Author says ...

"...even if your street photographs are well within the bounds of artistic expression and non-commercial in nature, you never know ... how the law may change over time."

 

I'm thinking that they can't change laws on right of publicity retroactively and suddenly make old photos illegal. But I'm not sure. There is just no telling about anything in 2021. The Chinese have a saying...something can happen in a second that has not happened for a million years. Things have happened in the USA that I never would have thought happen. So I never say never.

From the very beginnings of photography people have liked to photograph candid photos of strangers. 

Daniel D. Teoli Jr. Archival Collection

The Wikimedia Commons requires whatever you contribute be released for commercial consumption. Since I get no model releases I don't contribute much there with people in them. And if I do send something in, I block out the faces for the Wiki and specifically say that version is the only one released for commercial use.

35mm film sound tracks

Cold water flat - Los Angeles 1970's

Living in a cardboard box project - New York

The old ICP - New York

Maybe someday this will be how it will be for photographers with recognizable people in photos. Our candid photos of people will be like Japanese porn with the privates mosaiced out. 

<><><><>

Linhof Catalog Cover 1963

Daniel D. Teoli Jr. Archival Collection

 

 

Edited July 25, 2021 by Daniel D. Teoli Jr.