Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

Hey guys,

Newb here... I'm currently developing a website who's main focus will be celebrities.  Site content will include news and pictures.   The question is, what are my options when posting celebrity photos.   I understand I need licensing rights are needed for every picture  which could get expensive very quickly.

Are there any other options?

Thanks!

Depending on your focus (is the site to share positives about the celebrities or is it there to ridicule and criticise?), you may find that the celeb's publicists will bend over backwards to provide photos that you can use.  If you are going to get paparazzi type images, then I hope you have a legal defense budget.

If you are reporting news, then the images probably don't need releases, but whomever took the photo probably still owns the copyright, so you have a new problem of using them.

In other words, you have not provided nearly enough information of how you plan to use the images for anyone to give you an opinion.

Hey thanks for the answer Steve.

The site content/focus will not be gossip but rather factual information and news.

Ultimately, I'll need recent photos of any star.  Is there any way this could be done without asking permission on a per picture basis?

We have no issue with crediting the source on the picture itself (watermark url....)
I see many sites sell stock photos.

One option we were thinking about was letting fans upload pictures  (this would make us more like a wiki  - content holder).   Would that release us from any legal issue?

Thanks

I would consult an IP lawyer first.  You can start by writing to the agents and publicists in Hollywood to ask for photos, bios and permissions.  This would be the safest and you would be surprised how many stars are represented by a few dozen publicists.

You definitely need a prototype of your site working before you pitch the idea to them.

Following the Wiki solution to avoid copyright issues seems to me as extremely risky because you are acknowledging that you know much of the uploaded photos will violate someone's copyright.

Reaching the publicists and asking for permission is a great idea.

I'll give that a try.

Thanks!

Quite good idea

"Celebrities" topic may be a good idea for ladies.

Thanks,
Laimen
Shingles Contagious