The legal issues affecting photographs and the photographers who take them are different than for other types of original works. The growth of paparazzi and “entertainment news” sites, TV shows, and magazines have raised additional issues about photos that paparazzi shoot and how they can be used. This workshop will provide a primer on the various legal issues involved with photos and how these issues differ based on how photos are used. Topics will include:
-The rights of copyright that apply to photos;
-Who owns a photo - the photographer, the person or company that commissioned it or the subject;
-When “fair use” can apply to how a photo is exploited;
-The types of contracts that generally cover the taking and use of photos;
-How California’s rights of publicity laws affect photos of celebrities and public figures.
Paul Menes, founder of Menes P.C., is an AV-rated transactional lawyer for entertainment, digital, copyright, and trademark clients, with over 30 years’ experience working with clients in the U.S., Canada, Europe, and Japan. He was an entertainment and licensing contract litigator for over ten years; this taught him what can go wrong with a contract and ways to prevent those outcomes. In addition, Paul has practical experience on the creative side of entertainment and media projects. Paul has been profiled in the last several editions of Who’s Who in American Law and has been featured in or written for Entertainment Law and Finance, Associated Press, Digital Music News, L.A. Daily Journal, L.A. Lawyer, South by Southwest, Musexpo, California Copyright Conference, Digital L.A., the UCLA, USC, and Loyola Law School Music Business Seminars, the International Association of Entertainment Lawyers, and UCLA Extension, among others.
