Copyright. I have made a graphic of a car from my own photo. Do I need the car-makers permission to use it?

Question

I took a photo of a model Lotus car and turned it into a graphic line-art image with photoshop. If I want to offer this image for sale do I need the permission of the car maker?

Answer 1

Provided you took the photo in an area where you/the public have access and there was no restriction on photographing the car, you should be fine. The car itself, although the company's IP, does not actually constitute a copyright work.

The problem you are more likely to face is breach of their trademarks if you use their name(s) when advertising the piece for sale.

For more on photography of copyright works, this a useful guide.

Answer 2

I believe that there are provisions in the copyright act that allows reasonable use of images of intellectual property. This may include drawings, photographs, etc. of designed items such as buildings, structures and cars.

I suppose the key operative here is "reasonable use". I would think that using a photograph that you took yourself of a car to use as part of a graphic product that is originally designed and produced by you would be considered as reasonable.

Imagine if you can't do that, then no one can make films with buildings and/or cars in it without paying huge amounts of money in it for the use of their images.

Answer 3

You own the copyright on both the photo and the print.
If you copied and built the car then that is a different matter.
Copyright on photos vary from country to country too.
You can photograph most things in a public place in the UK. Apart from some parks where it is illegal to photograph children.

Answer 4

You took the photo and created the image, therefore the copyright is yours. Otherwise, we'd have to ask permission off mother nature to use images of flowers.

Answer 5

i in my view wash it and wax it. some spots by using hand, yet maximum folk i take advantage of an electric polisher. I certainly have a slicing pad for compound and a wax pad for properly...wax. After the coat of wax i will circulate back over it with a sealant which protects the paint from the climate. as quickly as I wash it and the water nevertheless beads i comprehend the sealant remains working.

Answer 6

Did the place have an agreement that photography was regulated? If so, is it definitely recognisable as their car?

Answer 7

Put it on Ebay no one gives a damm there