[WikiEN-l] Re: Google Earth copyright (now that you bring it up)

[Anthony DiPierro]

On 1/23/06, Jei <jei at cc.hut.fi> wrote:
> Interesting. What about pictures of people? - If I put makeup on my face
> and call it a work of art, and someone takes a picture of me in a public
> place, do my copyrights still apply?

Sounds like a reasonable argument to me.  It would depend, of course,
on whether or not the jury agreed with you that the makeup was a work
of art.  In the case of applying lipstick it probably wouldn't be -
getting a full body tatoo on the other hand...

> Or if I jog regularly and spend time
> shaping and trimming my body, does my unique physique retain it's
> copyrights in a similar photograph situation?
>
> // Jei

I doubt it.  You're not really the author of your body's unique
physique - it's much more accidental.  I'm not really sure how to
reconcile that argument with copyright on some "modern art", though. 
Who knows, maybe you could convince a judge that you do have a
copyright on your body's unique physique.  I'd be willing to listen to
any precedents you can come up with.

Don't forget though, that in addition to copyright laws, pictures of
people are subject to privacy and publicity laws as well.

Anthony