03-12-2007, 08:11 PM
Salve Omnes,
As a foundation, we recently had a rather nasty brush with the LVR, Public Relations department, owners of the park at Xanten, Germany. We took pictures of the Legio II Avg group and some displays they had made during the event two years ago. As an illustration of things to come in our own park, we posted them on the Noviolocus website, feeling no harm in showing photographs we took ourselves of a group that was a guest there. They claimed copyright to any and all pictures taken within the boundaries of their park, forbidding the use of these pictures. We researched this claim under German law, and it seems valid for the buildings they have erected. We however feel strongly about the claiming of copyright of the intellectual ownership of those pictures by third parties showing groups performing and the displays they host.
The costs and research (and these are high, as I know from experience, having researched, manufactured and assembled through purchase a full Roman kit myself) of the costumes and the actual rehearsed performance have been borne by the groups and individuals concerned, no compensation or support in developing or purchase of the clothing, uniforms, weapons, performance and like have been offered by LVR or APX. Claiming intellectual ownership just on the basis of providing a place/backdrop to perform in our view exceeds the reasonable. I would welcome opinions on this issue.
As a foundation, we recently had a rather nasty brush with the LVR, Public Relations department, owners of the park at Xanten, Germany. We took pictures of the Legio II Avg group and some displays they had made during the event two years ago. As an illustration of things to come in our own park, we posted them on the Noviolocus website, feeling no harm in showing photographs we took ourselves of a group that was a guest there. They claimed copyright to any and all pictures taken within the boundaries of their park, forbidding the use of these pictures. We researched this claim under German law, and it seems valid for the buildings they have erected. We however feel strongly about the claiming of copyright of the intellectual ownership of those pictures by third parties showing groups performing and the displays they host.
The costs and research (and these are high, as I know from experience, having researched, manufactured and assembled through purchase a full Roman kit myself) of the costumes and the actual rehearsed performance have been borne by the groups and individuals concerned, no compensation or support in developing or purchase of the clothing, uniforms, weapons, performance and like have been offered by LVR or APX. Claiming intellectual ownership just on the basis of providing a place/backdrop to perform in our view exceeds the reasonable. I would welcome opinions on this issue.
