Re: [APML] Jpeg standards

["Joseph O'Neil" <joneil@multiboard.com>]

>But bottom line is I think nothing will come of this as far as the average
>Joe and Josephine is concerned.

-snip-

         Depends how much fuss they put up.  I agree there is a growing 
backlash agianst corporate greed, and I see the current fuss over Jpeg 
standards as nothnig more than another fishing expedition. I doubt you will 
see anyone with a personal web site getting 'cease and desists" order, but 
larger companies with deeper pockets - who knows.
         To give you all a current  example  - in the area of desktop 
publishing, it is harder and harder to get good artwork because everything 
is copyrighted, and the fees for commercial use can be amazingly hefty.  I 
am not against paying royaltiy fees, but on a proportional basis, they are 
higher than they used to be.  Compared to the days when my dad ran a lead 
set printing press - and that was right up to about ten years ago before we 
switched over to computer for everything -  it is actually harder to come 
up with artwork.          In the "old days", you bought a set of ready made 
plates where the sale included rights to print, and while the price was not 
cheap, you paid once and were done with it.  Today, you are supposed to 
keep track of every single sheet of paper used and printed, and pay 
royalties on each sheet.  This includes Ministers & Priests in churches who 
now keep count of how many sheets of paper are used to photocopy hymns for 
the church choir for Sunday service.  I see this all the time.  I think if 
somebody could figure out a way to copyright "Amazing Grace" and charge 
royalties for it's use, it would of been done by now.
         Also, it isn't so much the copyright fees, as much as the 
paperwork and adminsitraition associated with the royaltiy fees  that 
really easts up profit and labour hours anymore.    You sit down to fill 
out a sheet where you say "20 sheets of image #32119, and 15 copies of 
image #8867" etc, etc," and it just drives you batty after a while.

         So, directly, no, I do not see any effect, but indirectly, if such 
fishing expeditions are allowed to go on without public backlash, yes, it 
wil affect things for all of us.  There has to be a balance between fair 
use and royalties for use, but I don't know where it is.  Also, I see large 
companies making money off royalty fees, more so than anyone 
else.  Photographers, IMO, are like farmers, they get paid very little for 
thier orignal work, it's the middlemen who get the real profit.
joe





http://www.oneilphoto.on.ca
http://www.multiboard.com/~joneil
"Una salus victus nullam sperare salutem"


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