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On using movie posters on website
Thread poster: Faustine.Rou (X)
Faustine.Rou (X)
Faustine.Rou (X)
Local time: 20:27
English to French
Jul 19, 2013

Hi all,

I am creating a website for my translation and subtitling services and my designer has chosen to use the posters of the movies I've worked on.
At first, I was thrilled and told him to go ahead, until I realised that it might be a breach of copyrights laws.

I tried to find answers online, but I'm sure some of you are more aware of this issue than some movie fans who answer these questions on blogs and answers.yahoo.

I obviously asked the clien... See more
Hi all,

I am creating a website for my translation and subtitling services and my designer has chosen to use the posters of the movies I've worked on.
At first, I was thrilled and told him to go ahead, until I realised that it might be a breach of copyrights laws.

I tried to find answers online, but I'm sure some of you are more aware of this issue than some movie fans who answer these questions on blogs and answers.yahoo.

I obviously asked the clients' permission to publish the posters (or logos of the products I translated). Some said it's fine, others said I shouldn't even mention the name of the product.

Now, does anyone know whether I can use a film poster on a website to illustrate my work as a subtitler?

Thank you in advance for your help.

PS: I don't know if it's relevant, but I work in the UK, and my clients are from the UK and the continent (Sweden, Germany, France). ▲ Collapse
 
Joakim Braun
Joakim Braun  Identity Verified
Sweden
Local time: 21:27
German to Swedish
+ ...
No Jul 19, 2013

The fair use concept, some form of which is used in many jurisdictions, means roughly that you may excerpt copyrighted work for commenting on it or if it's newsworthy.

Decoration of your website isn't fair use.
I think defensible fair use in this case would be a few screen shots with your subtitles.

(You could always try, and wait for the takedown notice. Probably the worst that could happen.)
 
Faustine.Rou (X)
Faustine.Rou (X)
Local time: 20:27
English to French
TOPIC STARTER
thanks Jul 19, 2013

Thank you Joakim.

So far, this is what I've thought, and I am very angry both at myself for realising that too late, and at my designer who didn't even consider the issue!

Any other comments from other translators welcome.
 
David Wright
David Wright  Identity Verified
Austria
Local time: 21:27
German to English
+ ...
Don't quite follow Jul 19, 2013

If you asked the client if you could use the posters and some said fine, then I can't see what you're worried about. (Your client is presumably the movie company and owns the rights to the posters, or do I misread you here?).
 
Joakim Braun
Joakim Braun  Identity Verified
Sweden
Local time: 21:27
German to Swedish
+ ...
Hm Jul 20, 2013

It's extremely unlikely that the subtitling client holds the right to the films.
Movie studios aren't usually direct subtitling clients.
 
Faustine.Rou (X)
Faustine.Rou (X)
Local time: 20:27
English to French
TOPIC STARTER
explanation Jul 20, 2013

David Wright wrote:

If you asked the client if you could use the posters and some said fine, then I can't see what you're worried about. (Your client is presumably the movie company and owns the rights to the posters, or do I misread you here?).


David, the clients were OK with it in terms of confidentiality, that is they were OK for me to mention the films/products I worked on. Then, they didn't know whether Universal or 21st Century Fox would be OK with me using the posters. Is that clearer?

And as Joakim said, my clients don't hold the rights for the posters, my clients being post-production companies or subtitling companies, not movie studios or directors (I wish!!)
 


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