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Reproduction

About three weeks ago my friend Stuart Haywood (for whom I have done a number of drawings and a watercolour painting of him naked, and who hadn’t stripped off before and wasn’t a naturist before this experience) emailed to say that he and his wife were to be featured in an article about them renewing their marriage vows. They have been happily married more than 50 years and both of them felt that it would be an excellent show of their continuing love and affection for each other. The twist on this tale was that although they were doing at a venue of their choice, one of them would be naked. Stuart.  And also so would some of the guests.

This was a few weeks ago at Stuarts favourite venue in Lincolnshire.

I knew that since then he had written an article for the local paper, and that the paper had printed the article.

This week he rang me to tell me that the Press Association had picked up the story and wanted to write an article themselves regarding it, and had sent a journalist along to interview Stuart and his wife and had written the article accordingly. He asked me if I was ok being mentioned in the story and if it was ok to use a couple of photos that I had taken. Yes, I was fine with that I told him. The female journalist rang me within an hour of him telling me she would ring and I confirmed that I was fine with it.

But, it was later that day that I realised what it actually meant and rang her again the next day to check.

Stuart Haywood baring all at 75 (2) Because, whereas I am so used to copyright with my artwork, and so used to taking photos all the time regarding subjects I love, I hadn’t appreciated that any photos I take, also have my copyright attached to them. Because this has been done via Stuart, and not directly to me, I realised that it did actually affect me in a direct way and the question was:

Should I be entitled to a reproduction fee?

Her response was that whereas there was no fee for the article as it goes online, there may be other publications that might pick it up. It has, after all, got a lot of quirky value. As it stands I will get a credit for taking the photos, and it will be good publicity for me. I understand that, artists know that sometimes you don’t get paid in money always, but get some promotion instead which may or may not turn into future work. But if another publication want to use it, then that is a different matter, then that gives me the possibility of reproduction rights on my copyright.

So, I don’t know what will happen, but I shall be interested to see…………..

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