Images, Ownership of

Copyright law is central to the ownership of photographs, yet photography has consistently been a cause of dispute in the context of how copyright law should be applied to this subject matter. Starting from the early days when photography was struggling to be regarded as an artform rather than merely a mechanical process, questions continue to be asked about whether and how copyright should protect photographic expressions particularly those of a more functional nature. The law on the ownership of images has become more settled in recent years yet it is not without its controversies with the increasing awareness and use of the fair use provisions under U.S. law, the complexes of issues of authorship and ownership under the works for hire doctrine and also ...