This post is mostly about copyright and stupidity, but I couldn't resist using that catchy sentence that I just heard on the phone a few minutes ago.
Last weekend I took pictures for an awesome Samoan family that is here on vacation. They wanted to have all their pictures printed here before they went back to Samoa, because it's easier/faster/cheaper...(one of those...) anyway, Tala (The mom) calls me from Walmart and says they won't print the pictures because of copyright infringement. I told her, I sell the pictures, there is NO copyright, tell the photo person to check the METADATA (fancy word for info imbedded on the cd for every picture) and she will see that there is NO copyright info. Tala told the attendant that, who had no idea what she was talking about, and then got her manager. The manager came out and told Tala the same thing, no printing without a copyright release from the photographer. Tala called me back, and I was getting a little ticked.
I called the photolab at Walmart and got the ever-so-smart manager on the phone. I explained to her that I was the photographer, that there is no copyright on the pictures, and to CHECK THE METADATA!!!
She said, "I don't know about all this "megadata stuff" but I can't print these pictures without a copyright release."
I said, "LISTEN! THERE IS NO COPYRIGHT ON THE PICTURES! THEREFORE YOU DO NOT NEED A RELEASE! THERE IS NOTHING TO RELEASE!!! THIS IS REDICULOUS!!!!"
She said, (this is my favorite line...)"It's NOT rediculous! Its the law here at Walmart!"
Anyway, I could not make her understand anything, and Tala had to drive here and get a release! I am going over to Walmart to explain a thing or two to their genius photo department as soon as Jaxon wakes up!!! WISH ME (THEM!!!) LUCK!!!
PS- it's 8pm and I never made it to Walmart. Im my defense I was busy from the moment Jaxon woke up, until now...and...I am STILL busy...so, maybe I will just cuss them out a few more times in my head and be done with it!
8 comments:
Can I please come along and watch. Sound like this is going to be way exciting. Gotta love Wal-mart, and their ever wonderful employees. Let me know how many teeth the photo rep has.
Wow. Who knew that WalMart was so hardcore.
I can understand if the files were locked somehow, but really - how stupid!
Ashley, you clearly don't respect the law. I am concerned about your patriotism and frankly, your ability to support our country. You are probably a democrat. Or will soon be at this rate. What's next, you want Walmart to raise their prices to match Safeway?
Holy cow! This same thing happened to my brother in utah with there family picture and the person who took the pictures was my other brother. To make the story short my brother who took the pictures was on vacation. So my brother just made up a form saying they had the right to copy the picture. Poor Walmart they are starting to get picky. LOL Hey that just tell you that you are really good at your photography. Good Work!
That's so sad that they would make someone go to that much trouble! I love Walmart - but that is seriously stupid!
It's nice to know that no matter what goes on in the rest of the world, there will always be law & order at Walmart.
I wish they had been so strict when someone stole my credit card info last year. I would have loved for them to call and ask for a release to use it! Clearly it is much more dangerous to print photos than to check the id of the credit card user.
Actually . . . photos have an inherent copyright to them whether you place one in the metadata or not. So it's best to write a release on the c.d. label. It's actually there to protect an artist from getting screwed. Everyone will do it, Wal Mart, or Walgreens--it's pretty general to most printing places now. Just thought I'd drop that f.y.i.
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