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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Ed Snible, post: 7595814, member: 82322&quot;]<i>Your</i> work is creative.&nbsp; I did not feel the need to mention it, but let me call it out.&nbsp; When I say 99% of coin photos are not creative, I am attempting to be precise.&nbsp; I believe 100% of all image-stack coin photos are creative.&nbsp; Anything with a weird angle or special lighting: creative.</p><p><br /></p><p>I see myself as being on your side.&nbsp; I think it is a pity that auction houses do not name photographers and catalogers.&nbsp; Some do, and we should encourage all the houses to start.&nbsp; (Lanz does!).&nbsp; If I write a book -- and it is seeming less and less likely -- I will make a serious effort to determine and name the photographer, even for corporate produced catalogs and defunct eBay accounts.</p><p><br /></p><p>I believe 99% of coin photos are not creative.&nbsp; That is no reason not to credit the photographer when known, but -- for me -- it is good enough to not hold back the photo when it cannot be cleared.&nbsp; But let&#039;s not take my estimates.&nbsp; I see 115,753 ancient lots on eBay right now.&nbsp; How many of those photos would <i>you</i> say are creative?&nbsp; 100%?&nbsp; How many have photo credits?&nbsp; If a unique coin sold on eBay, and the seller closed down his account, should that photo appear in future catalogs if another image cannot be located?</p><p><br /></p><p>I have an extensive photo-file of rare coins taken from photo files of auction catalogs.&nbsp; It is impossible to determine the photographer.&nbsp; 2/3rds of the firms have gone under and there is no way to determine who inherited the intellectual property rights from the firm.</p><p><br /></p><p>I use my real name here.&nbsp; I have no clue who [USER=88829]@lrbguy[/USER] or [USER=74968]@Orfew[/USER] are.&nbsp; 20 years from now, when CoinTalk is gone, how would I ever find you?&nbsp; There is little I can do to get photo releases for images I snagged off eBay in 2003.&nbsp; I believe the custom in numismatics is that unique coins get illustrated in reference works from auction photos, even if the photo can&#039;t be cleared.</p><p><br /></p><p>To be clear.&nbsp; The law books do NOT back me up.&nbsp; I have no more right to reproduce an eBay photo crediting a closed Eastern European account than I have a right to sell the Brooklyn Bridge.&nbsp; I suspect legal precedents are in my favor, but a lawyer in the group says no.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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