wanting to edit a friend's book for myself!

[amg2806]

HI there!

My friend and I went on the same trip to Africa and she created a book already. It looks great and I really would love to have one very similiar. Is there a way I can just edit and switch some pictures out with mine? I am really trying to finish this in the next few days. We have many of the same pics but I wanted mine to be personlized for me! help! What is the best way to do this??

Angela

[MI_Hiker]

I'm definitely not an expert but have made a few books.

The only way I can think is to go to your friends computer and edit their existing book (which should still be stored on their computer in bookmaker) then upload the new one.

Others may have a better solution but that's all I can think of.

[amg2806]

Thanks! Thats what we were thinking we might have to do :( You would think there would be something more user friendly! Oh well

[acotrim]

There's a easier way: your friend can export the book she created from her computer, using mypublisher software, and send to you somehow (burn a CD, pendrive, whatever). Then you import the book to your computer through mypublisher software and edit it! Hope it helps you.

[Oceanpeg]

First of all. There's a copyright issue. That's the biggest one.......

You have to get permission from your friend in writing to use her photos that way. She might not like you having your own book published with her photos in it, especially if you plan on giving the impression that her photos were taken by you!

That's a "NO - NO!"

You would be better off using your own photos.

Two people can take a photo of something and the two photos might not come out exactly the same. They'll look different if they were taken from different angles and also look different from the distance that they were taken at, such as close or far away. Plus, if shooting manually, with different F-Stops for different effects, too.

That's why many serious photographers may take about a dozen or more of the same subject, doing them in all different ways of the same object, scene, etc.

So, if you both took photos on the same location, there's a good chance that both of your photos are not exactly identical in every phase, and, to pass her work off as your own just won't sit right with some people along with the copyright law, itself.

You can be opened for a law suit for same, if you reproduce the other persons or anyone else's photos without permission, Thus you need her written permission to do same......If she gives you a "One-time right" that will more or less just give you permission to use the photo just once, most likely in just one book, etc. That would have to be defined, too, in the written permission of same.

Even if you buy her photos from her outright, you also have to get written permission to reproduce them, too......

Hope this helps you out somewhat. I'd suggest that you use your own photos to avoid any problems now or in the future with using her photos plus passing them off as your own photos.....

[alwaysbehind]

Actually, copyright laws apply to those selling, not just having. And, it has to be copyrighted to have protection. Of course, it's always good manners to ask, but I don't think there's a way to get the book without the original person knowing anyway. If it can be done online through photobook sharing, the original maker of the book will have to give the 2nd person the password to even see it. That would mean she's giving permission. Not to mention, I think these two traveled together, so I think they are friends. Copyright laws do not apply here.

[Oceanpeg]

Wasn't referring to or talking about the "book" but the "photos" themselves, individually in the book.

Each photo is copyrighted the minute it's created in the camera itself, even before it appears in print......

In the past, Professional Photographers of America, Inc., based out of California, has even sued such places as Walmarts for duplicating photos without the photographers written permission, and, the fines were enormous...... PPA has done this for several of its members over the years. That is, gone after places and people who have broken the copyright law.....

One should never use or duplicate someone else's photo in any way, shape or form unless they have written permission to do so because they are open for a possible law suit if they do so. It's the law......

When you submit photos here you said that :

1) The photos are your own work.

2) That you have legal permission to use the photos, which you are more or less saying that you have written permission from someone who took the photos to use their photos.......

Be sure you have that written permission before submitting someone else's photos here as you say you have when agreeing to MyPublishers terms when you originally ordered you book......

TO RECAP:
You don't have to sell your book to break the copyright law..... If you duplicate someone's photo, in any way, shape or form without permission to do so you are breaking the copyright law.....

WHEN YOU GIVE SOMEONE YOUR PASSWORD YOU ARE NOT GIVING THEM PERMISSION TO COPY OR DUPLICATE ANY PART OF YOUR BOOK THEMSELVES...... YOU ARE GIVING THEM ONLY PERMISSION TO VIEW YOUR BOOK OR TO BUY IT FROM MYPUBLISHER WITHOUT ANY CHANGES MADE TO IT.......

If a photo becomes a "Public Domain" then its a different story...... The person/photographer more or less gives up all rights to their photo and allows it to be used by anyone, within reason, that is.......

Message was edited by: Oceanpeg

[alwaysbehind]

Thank you for the information. I have always been told by Walmart, Costco, etc. that they need written consent from the photographer to print a picture, but that's usually when it looks like a professional photo, not one I've taken on vacation with my own camera. In that case, they have asked me to sign a document that states I have permission to have this picture printed and that lets them off the hook.

Of course, this document protects Walmart or Costco from getting sued by the professional photographer for breaking copyright law by reprinting a photo without permission which of course, is a loss of revenue (if I am re-printing professional photos at Walmart or Costco, I am not paying the professional photographer for the print).

I can see your point about protecting all photos as we definitely don't want everyone to have free reign to do what they want with our photos.

Thanks for the info.

[Oceanpeg]

You do the same here, too, when doing your books up, when you agree to MyPublishers terms for that same reason.

Walmart's found out the hard way about that, about 15-20 years ago when they were sued by PPA. PPA informed their members of same in their monthly newsletters to them. Another place in FLa. was also sued by PPA at the same time. PPA even put the copyright law on a T-Shirt way back when, which was available to members. Although old, I still have mine from then.

You'll notice that copyright statement on those Kodak machines that you'll find almost anywhere, even CVS Pharmacies, that you can do instant prints on too, for that same reason, too......

The copyright I believe is for about 75 years or so, and can be transferred to descendants... Sort of like a lot of Elvis's was done, whereas copyrights were transferred to his daughter.... This is the easy way to explain how that works.....

I also stated in my book from here that "all photos in the book are copyrighted" in the beginning of the book, plus put that statement in the footnote section at the bottom of each page, next to the numbers on each page...... Something to think about doing, to protect your own photo work and so they don't become "Public Domain" because that statement is missing from your book......

Message was edited by: Oceanpeg