Photo Copyright Policy

All contents of this page (these pages) belong to the people credited. If no person is credited, these photos should still be considered as belonging to whoever took them.  Some of these items are from archives where there was no photographer credited, but this does not mean that they do not belong to someone and are not authorized for any usage without the express permission of their owner. Use of the content without permission of the owners may result in liability for infringement of copyright and other actions. All rights are reserved and will be enforced.

What does the SCA say about photos on official websites?

–From the Society for Creative Anachronism, Inc. Society Chronicler’s Policies, October 2009

In addition to the issue of getting the photographer’s permission to use a photograph on a website, there is the question of ability to use a person’s image, as in a group photograph or large scene. This concern’s an individual’s right to privacy, and the right to control use of one’s image. Unlike public figures, private persons have a very strong right to control their image.  Just because they are in a public or semi-public place, be it a park or a rented hall, a person in the SCA is a private person and those rights must be honoured. Just because someone is standing at
the front of the room, or sitting on the dais under a crown or coronet, does not turn them into a public person.

Therefore, before using any person’s image on a website (or in a printed publication), you must have the permission of that person. It should be in writing, just as permission to publish a poem or drawing or article would be. The key is whether the person can be easily identified. If the only way to identify the person is by the surcote worn over armor, or knowing that a certain wide lady wears a pink dress with a blue veil which is seen on the back of a woman in the corner of a photo, you probably do not need to worry. But if you can see their face, or other identifyingcharacteristics – the “can their grandmother recognize them in this picture?” determination – or if you want to use their name and identify all persons in the photo, then you should obtain permission.

What if I find a photo that shouldn’t be on this page?

The photos on this page’s archives were understood to be put up with the permission of the owners and the people being photographed.  If you find a photo of yourself that you don’t want on the site or a photo of someone who doesn’t want their image to appear on this site, please contact webteam@tirrigh.org.

What if I want to have my photos up on TirRigh.org?

If the photos are of you or your family, great!  Send them in.  If they are of other people, then we ask that you get their written permission if you want to send in photos containing their image.  Or, you could send the photo to them and ask them to email it with their permission to use it on the site.  We reserve the right to make the call on group photos.