by cabridges » Wed Oct 22, 2008 8:09 pm
That's not reliable, though, especially if someone has saved the original photo again in a graphics editor that doesn't support that meta information.
Technically, all photos are copyrighted. Some of them are created by the celebrity or studios especially for promotional use such as autographs or handouts, but even then you're not really permitted to print off your own copies (unless that photo was accompanied with a notice granting that permission).
However, it's extremely unlikely you'll have the police busting down your door for printing out photos from Google and getting them signed unless you start your own business and start selling them. Some celebs may have contractual restrictions regarding which photos they're allowed to sign, but most of them will sign whatever you put in front of them. I've never heard of any individual collectors running into problems. [NOTE: I am not a lawyer, don't use me as a defense

]
Short version: you can't tell unless it's spelled out for you, but it probably won't be a problem.
That's not reliable, though, especially if someone has saved the original photo again in a graphics editor that doesn't support that meta information.
Technically, all photos are copyrighted. Some of them are created by the celebrity or studios especially for promotional use such as autographs or handouts, but even then you're not really permitted to print off your own copies (unless that photo was accompanied with a notice granting that permission).
However, it's extremely unlikely you'll have the police busting down your door for printing out photos from Google and getting them signed unless you start your own business and start selling them. Some celebs may have contractual restrictions regarding which photos they're allowed to sign, but most of them will sign whatever you put in front of them. I've never heard of any individual collectors running into problems. [NOTE: I am not a lawyer, don't use me as a defense :) ]
Short version: you can't tell unless it's spelled out for you, but it probably won't be a problem.