(no subject)

[olivermoss]

I picked the wrong day to be online. It started with me clicking on a photography thread where everyone was completely wrong about copyright. I am not right about copyright because I am not a lawyer, but I felt the need to correct some people for having fundamental misunderstandings. Literally no one properly understood the Eiffel Tower At Night problem. I hate people fear-mongering over copyright. I swear it's just general toxicity at times; more experienced people making the less-informed chase their tails.

And then things went downhill from there.

On a related note: I typically take a week off from technology each year. No social media, ideally no cell signal. Haven't done that these past two years for some reason. It's time to plan something. Just as a general brain-maintenance thing I need to flee the internet for a bit and break up habits and stuff. No idly checking twitter, or opening a second tab and then clicking the twitter shortcut again.

Comments

[sperrywink]

Good luck going on a tech-free vacation. Two years is a long break.

[malinaldarose]

Okay, I had to look that up as I've never heard of it before -- and of course my trip photos are on FB. So, if I understand the article I read correctly (and I only had time for one article), then by publishing my night photos of the Eiffel Tower, I am in violation of the copyright of the dude who lit it up to begin with, even though I have no intent to sell them because under French law, FB counts as "publishing." Is that the way it goes? I was particularly thrilled with my night-time Eiffel Tower photos because they actually turned out. I didn't expect them to.

[olivermoss]

I mean, you and a few million other people. The law has never been enforced. France isn't going to go after tourists for putting pictures on social media, please don't worry about it! But yeah, technically not legal under French law. The issue is not 'the lights are copyrighted' it's that 'France has weird laws'.

This house's design is absolutely under copyright, which in the US means that I can't steal the blueprints and make an identical house. (I'd kind of like to, though) I can take a picture of it from the sidewalk and the only applicable copyright is my own. These images are mine.

Photos are often full of copyrighted things, from logos to clothing design to cars. Unless you are using an extreme telephoto lens to take pictures of art through someone's window, in almost every country you can photograph pretty much anything from public spaces like streets, sidewalks, parks, etc.

Every time you do non-nude photography there are two copyrights on each piece of clothing, one for the clothing design and a separate one for the textile design/fabric. It's still fine to shoot people wearing clothes. But some people were trying to fear monger that we can't take pictures of copyrighted stuff and citing the Eiffel Tower. Could you imagine?

But seriously, do not worry about your lovely photos. There are trillions of shots on Insta, Twitter, etc.

[malinaldarose]

Yeah, and that few million were just there in the same week I was. I'm not particularly concerned about it -- it just never occurred to me that you could copyright a building. Or even that France has weird laws. I suppose it's not really the sort of thing you consider when you're just there for a couple of days.

Also, that house is definitely different. I've never seen a place with that sort of front.

Thanks for the explanation!

[olivermoss]

Welcome :)

Copyright is wacky. I am not a copyright lawyer so I need to be careful about making too definitive of statements, but fear mongering over shooting building exteriors is nuts.

[bleodswean]

I completely support a tech break! Enjoy your time.

[mistressofmuses]

I don't think I've ever tried to do a full tech break (not since I was a kid, when that was one component of our yearly summer vacation). I'm not sure I'd manage to do it entirely, but I can very much see the appeal.

[olivermoss]

I often just yeet myself out of cell range. Can't be tempted when my phone just becomes another camera. I do have cameras, but no internets. I feel like my last ones where in another age.

I really like the reset. My brain stops carrying that mental load, like restarting a computer to get rid of all the background processes.

[mistressofmuses]

There can be a definite freedom to being completely out of contact. (Out of cell range has been less of a thing, the last few years. Used to be anyplace up in the mountains would have no service! Even for just a day at a time, it could be a relief.)