3. co p y r iG h t a n d pE r M i S S i o nS
Copyright, permissions, and future ownership of a project may seem to be secondary
issues, especially when placed against the technical and administrative complexities of
production and post-production work. However, these issues must be addressed early on
in any project, ideally well before any money has been committed to traveling, equipment,
or outside staff. The information in this section introduces these key legal issues that arise
for commissioners, photographers, and project staff working both in the U.S. and abroad.
This information is focused on U.S. law and is therefore less relevant to non-American
readers, although the questions that arise are likely to be similar for all panorama project
commissioners and creators.
The information contained in this section is not and should not be used as a substitute
for legal counsel. It is intended to provide useful general advice for commissioners and
creators of digital panoramas. Commissioners are strongly encouraged to contact their
university’s or institute’s legal counsel and to work with experts who are familiar with the
national and local laws for the area in which the photo shoot will take place. As the central
underpinning of many of the legal issues that arise, copyright is fundamental here. But
as one writer has put it: “in the United States, copyright law is pitilessly complicated....”^1
When the added complexities of international copyright are added into the mix, it should
be apparent that no guide can do more than alert the reader to the possibility of issues that
must be examined on an individual basis in each project.
The listed books and websites found in section 3.8 should be a helpful source of additional
information, but the common mantra of this section is:
When in doubt, ask an Expert.
- Susan M. Bielstein, Permissions, A Survival Guide: Blunt Talk about Art as Intellectual Property,
p. 17 (Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 2006).