Curse

Pancettie · Sep 18, 2008, 07:10 PM // 19:10

I'm in a photography class in school. I wanted to be able to use some of my pictures as screen shots from Guild Wars. Because I hate taking stupid pictures and I want to take good pictures, not some bullcrap in my house...

I asked her and she said no because of copyright and she said that it wasn't my work. Is that a "shot down" argument against me? Is there a way to make a case against her? I don't know if copyright can technically work against me in this situation.

CronkTheImpaler · Sep 18, 2008, 07:14 PM // 19:14

any screenie taken in game of GW is Copywrite protected. not sure if that answers anything.

Cronk

Pancettie · Sep 18, 2008, 07:31 PM // 19:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by CronkTheImpaler

any screenie taken in game of GW is Copywrite protected. not sure if that answers anything.

Cronk

Yeah but copyright is supposed to stop me from making money off it.

emberlights · Sep 18, 2008, 07:41 PM // 19:41

What exactly is the assignment?

A11Eur0 · Sep 18, 2008, 07:50 PM // 19:50

Copyright prohibits you from using the image without the express permission of the owner, whether it's for profit or not. Your teacher says not to use a copyrighted image, don't use a copyrighted image. Period. Those are the rules. It's a photography class, not "find a cool scene in a game and screenshot it" class. Go outside and take a picture of something cool.

BFG · Sep 18, 2008, 07:52 PM // 19:52

Review the Fair Use laws before you assume that something is automatically copyright protected. To determine fair use, four criteria can be considered:

What is the purpose of its use?
Making a reproduction for the purposes of criticism, teaching, scholarship or research would not be considered copyright infringement.
What is the nature of the work?
This usually doesn't come into play unless it's a matter of reproductions in mass in a much lower amount of time.
What is the amount of reproduction in comparison to the original?
Having one page of say, a 10k page document, probably wouldn't be a problem. However, one page (think website here) of one page may indeed be an infringement.
What is the effect of the reproduction upon the market for or the value therein?
This basically covers making money off of the reproduction and it's effect upon the value of the original.

I would say that you can weigh in with your teach with that. Another thing to remember is the Golden Rule. No, it's not the "do unto others" thing. It basically means that "He who has the most gold...rules." Therefore it could be weighed if it's worth it to take the chance when in doubt. I personally don't see how Anet can bitch about a screenshot that you created using your computer under circumstances which you created.

dilan155 · Sep 18, 2008, 07:52 PM // 19:52

copyright=not using anything without permission, no matter what.

Crom The Pale · Sep 18, 2008, 07:54 PM // 19:54

I do understand his point a bit.

How is a screen shot from guildwars different than a photo of a building?

BFG · Sep 18, 2008, 08:04 PM // 20:04

What is photography, really? Wouldn't it be the process of capturing an image? A screenshot is merely the capture of an image while not using traditional means of photography. The teacher is merely trying to avoid the student facing legal action (pfah) over a few screenshots.

Sindy · Sep 18, 2008, 08:15 PM // 20:15

If the teacher would let you use it *BUT* is afraid of copyright issues, than you may be ok. It is unlikely (though not impossible) that ANet will hunt you down over a few screenies used in a class.

If she doesn't want you to use it because she wants you to use a camera, then use a camera. I'm not taking a stance on what is or is not photography, but she is the teacher and ultimately responsible for teaching you whatever it is however she wants (or has been approved to want).

emberlights · Sep 18, 2008, 08:20 PM // 20:20

Just as one poster said, anyone screen shot taken in GW is copyrighted. While a picture you take of a building out in public is not. So they are not the same.

However, this does not mean you can't use copyrighted material. In an art context, you can use copyrighted material as long as it is a criticism of the copyrighted material in question. This is called Fair Use (see BFG's post #6.)

**Marty Silverblade** · Sep 18, 2008, 11:24 PM // 23:24

Doesn't GuildWiki have a copyright message on the bottom of all it's screenshots now? Maybe that counts for something.

Joe Fierce · Sep 18, 2008, 11:49 PM // 23:49

Well it comes down to a few defining and questionable factors, While yes all things in gw are owned by them, and copyrighted.

But so are all of the things inside of your house unless you built all of your furniture. You suggested that you take pictures inside your house, well, that bottle of tide and that Ikea table in your living room have the same exact copyright restrictions and laws guarding it from being mass produced (whether it be in image or substance) So, if they're included in your picture you're breaking the law just as much as you would be with a GW screenshot, because regardless of where it is your still stealing and reproducing the label (for the tide bottle, or the gw logo, same difference).

Copyright laws aren't so clean cut and defined as people think them to be, they can swing either way because of the way that they are worded, if you say this is not true, well, then tell me how warhol got away with so many images of popular brands logos and peoples copyrighted images as "pop-art" (no i'm not questioning it as art, alot of his stuff is pretty good, but you get the point).

BFG · Sep 19, 2008, 12:08 AM // 00:08

Campbell's did indeed take Warhol to court over copyright infringement. However, they later dropped the pursuit of the case due to the benefit of the publicity which they were receiving. Copyright infringement comes down to the circumstances involved and, sometimes, the interpretation of the law.

The world is full of buttheads and, unfortunately, many of them own copyrights. Now, whether they play well with others is a whole different issue.

Winterclaw · Sep 19, 2008, 12:15 AM // 00:15

Get Anet's permission and you can use it in class.

DarkNecrid · Sep 19, 2008, 12:18 AM // 00:18

You don't need ArenaNet's permission for screenshots you take.

...