... yeah, you know the rest.
So, I'm a photo tech at a well-known drugstore, and I get some weirdos. Thankfully, I haven't had many, but today I just had this one guy who didn't get it.
For those of you who don't know, it's illegal to reproduce any pictures taken by a professional photographer, as they are considered copyrighted (is that right? I'm never sure...) materials and they're, well, copyrighted. They have a copyright on them. For 100 years. It's the law.
Anyway, I'm standing at my counter when this guy asks me how big we can make pictures. I tell him 8x10, and he runs out to get a CD. He comes back, and lo and behold, he's holding a CD from a mall-photography company. Here's what happened:
Me:
SC: duh.
(I'm going to shave this down, because it's kind of long...)
Me: Oh, was that done in a studio?
SC: (stares) Uh... does it matter?
Me: Well, unfortunately, it's against the law for us to reproduce any pictures taken by a professional photographer.
SC: Well, what if I take it home and burn it to a personal CD?
Me: It's still illegal for us to print the pictures.
SC: How would you know if it was my own CD?
Me: (yeah, like I can't tell a studio pic from one taken in your living room) If I can tell it was taken by a professional, I can't print it. However, if you can get written permission from the photographer, I can make prints.
SC: You mean I have to go home and call these people so I can make some pictures?
Me: Yes, that's the only way.
SC: Then why did they give me this CD?
Me: You'd have to ask them (how should I know?).
SC: (gets up to leave) You know, you shouldn't use the term "professional" so loosely. My daughter worked at one of these places, and she had almost no trainging.
Me: It's still considered (at this point he starts walking away in a huff) professional and I can't print it... Ok, fine. Whatever.
He's not the first to make a fuss over this law. I once had a girl who sent a picture from a magazine over the internet who bitched at me because I wouldn't sell it to her. She claimed we didn't have a warning about it on our website (which is bull) and tried to talk me into giving it to her. I don't think they realize I could lose my job if I were to sell them these pictures. I'm not going to risk my job for a 19 cent picture, no matter how much you want your hair to look like Jennifer Aniston's.
So, I'm a photo tech at a well-known drugstore, and I get some weirdos. Thankfully, I haven't had many, but today I just had this one guy who didn't get it.
For those of you who don't know, it's illegal to reproduce any pictures taken by a professional photographer, as they are considered copyrighted (is that right? I'm never sure...) materials and they're, well, copyrighted. They have a copyright on them. For 100 years. It's the law.
Anyway, I'm standing at my counter when this guy asks me how big we can make pictures. I tell him 8x10, and he runs out to get a CD. He comes back, and lo and behold, he's holding a CD from a mall-photography company. Here's what happened:
Me:
SC: duh.
(I'm going to shave this down, because it's kind of long...)
Me: Oh, was that done in a studio?
SC: (stares) Uh... does it matter?
Me: Well, unfortunately, it's against the law for us to reproduce any pictures taken by a professional photographer.
SC: Well, what if I take it home and burn it to a personal CD?
Me: It's still illegal for us to print the pictures.
SC: How would you know if it was my own CD?
Me: (yeah, like I can't tell a studio pic from one taken in your living room) If I can tell it was taken by a professional, I can't print it. However, if you can get written permission from the photographer, I can make prints.
SC: You mean I have to go home and call these people so I can make some pictures?
Me: Yes, that's the only way.
SC: Then why did they give me this CD?
Me: You'd have to ask them (how should I know?).
SC: (gets up to leave) You know, you shouldn't use the term "professional" so loosely. My daughter worked at one of these places, and she had almost no trainging.
Me: It's still considered (at this point he starts walking away in a huff) professional and I can't print it... Ok, fine. Whatever.
He's not the first to make a fuss over this law. I once had a girl who sent a picture from a magazine over the internet who bitched at me because I wouldn't sell it to her. She claimed we didn't have a warning about it on our website (which is bull) and tried to talk me into giving it to her. I don't think they realize I could lose my job if I were to sell them these pictures. I'm not going to risk my job for a 19 cent picture, no matter how much you want your hair to look like Jennifer Aniston's.
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