New Board Rules?

I recently read a <URL url="Taking Pictures of Fire Alarms in Public Settings]post by kevtistic[/url] which got me thinking, what if someone or a copyrighted piece of art appears in a photo on TFP?
I believe that new board rules should be added regarding privacy, activities that could be taken as suspicious, and copyright. I know that the DMCA has rules on copyright, but I feel it necessary we have rules to enforce the rules the Act put into place.
I will post any other ideas I come up regarding this topic, and am willing to have a civilized discussion on any part someone disagrees with, but keep in mind, kevtistic was the one who inspired me for this suggestion.

I feel like any issues in terms of what you are suggesting would occur so infrequently it would be better dealt with on a one-time basis.

In general, copyright issues only come to light if the person who holds the copyright files a complaint.

I would like to chime in. For a lot of people–especially younger users that may not be fully aware of when it is considered okay to snap pictures–the issue of privacy should really be taken into consideration. The last thing anybody on the forums might want is a lawsuit over images containing copyrighted or sensitive materials that pose a security risk if released without authorization.

Suppose that a law enforcement agency wants access to the forums in order to gather information to assist in a case involving invasion of privacy. If there are rules in a setting that specifically forbids photography (e.g., displayed on signage or told via oral communication), and a user takes pictures anyway with the intent of posting them on the forums, that raises a serious risk if that user gets caught and legal action is taken.

As Andrew and John are not making money by charging for access to this form, I really don’t think anyone would care. They would probably see it as free advertisement. As Nick Said, this really should be a case by case basis.

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Sorry for bump.
I know it’s been a while since this has been last posted on, but I still think it would be smart to add something about this in the rules. Just in case a company whose content happens to appear in a photo on this forum will know that there are rules regarding copyrighted material.

On the other hand, we could have users blur any potentially copyrighted material using a photo editing app or software. That way, we could still have the photo up, and the material would be seen only as a blur.

Technically, the logo on every fire alarm device we post here is “copyrighted” or trademarked. I still hold the position that there would be an issue so infrequently that it is best deal with on a case-by-case basis.

Plus, any photo taken from a publicly accessible location (meaning you could go there and see it yourself without trespassing) is exempt from copyright rules.

I know my opinion does not matter because I am not a moderator, but I don’t think we should create rules just for the sake of creating rules. Both this forum and the DFA have been running since the 2000s, and no problems involving copyright infringement have occurred (as far as I know). Not to mention the entire point is moot because of what Nick specified about public pictures not infringing on rights.

Nick summed it up best, any photo taken from a publicly accessible location is exempt from copyright rules.
There is no need to blur company logos or what you are calling copyrighted materials.

Hey now, i listen to the member’s opinions :slight_smile:

I will agree, we aren’t going to create rules for the sake of making rules. This forum has been running for a long long long long time, and there has not been any type of issues involving copyright infringement.

If new rules are to be created, it will be done so by Administration for a proper reason. At this time, no rules will be made, however if the time comes, all members will be made aware of rules. :smiley: