can I put my wedding photos on my facebook profile?

[Annoyingpoison769]

The photographer has demanded they are taken down and replaced with watermarked pictures his terms on the memory stick are:

All images on this CD/DVD/USB are the copyright of ____________ Photography but Licence has been granted for the client to make unlimited prints for personal use only. This does not include commercial or ‘in store’ printing services.
It is illegal to copy or distribute the content of the CD/DVD/USB or alter any images. Any commercial, editorial or competition use of  ___________ Photography's images is prohibited without their express written consent. This permission applies worldwide

[Vylikikec]

Wel obviously you can't accroding to the law, unless you paid him for the pircture, then you can, coz you pay for his service.

Thats how it works normally,

[B K]

The terms are a bit bizarre/odd, but he is right, you can't put them on facebook. That's the "distribution" part referred to.

Makes me wonder why he gave you the images on a USB in the first place . . . since apparently you can't use them for anything according to the terms.

The photographer retains copyright of the photos they have taken. This is normal practice.

[spunkynut]

No, the photograpy company/photographer owns your photos, odd as that is. He owns the copyright. Looking over the stipulations, sometimes it looks as if you can put them on FB, sometimes it appears not.
I have searched some of the language in the stipulations. I am going to supply the website that will tell you that you can't on FB, since FB is facebook.com (dot com), commercial use.
He did allow prints, which I think was generous b/c many ppl can't afford wedding photos from the wedding they attended. Since you received a CD/DVD/USB, a printed pic called the 'hard copy'-something tangible to hold.
Best to ask where the watermark will appear and what it will look like. And I think I would agree to that, altho you didn't ask that.
One time Walgreens wouldn't let me copy a pic b/c it was on Kodak paper. I don't think that is any of their business, but if legalities/fines etc would come into your situation, its probably best to agree to the watermark. If you are satisfied w your pictures, and believe me I wasn't that lucky, but if you are, you are potentially giving him advertisement. You might want to bargain therefore that you would get some rebate if your friends etc came to him in the future.
O/W, if you want them there on FB, you have to go along with the guy. That's how he protects his work and feeds his family.

[Katie]

My photographer gave me two sets of prints. One for online use like facebook. these were watermarked with her insignia. The other set had no watermark for print use. You will be up for a lawsuit if you don't follow his rules. He technically owns the photos and facebook is a commercial site, therefore you are breaking them.

[Paul]

You cannot put them up on facebook.
The license you were given was only to make prints, and prohibits distribution (which is what putting photos on the internet publicly is).
If he's demanded you take them down, and you don't, he can sue you -- and he'll win. He owns the copyright to the photos, you don't.

[bcnu]

You got a license to make prints privately for yourselves, not to distribute them online. The photographer owns the copyright and can, in theory, sue you in federal court if you violate the license by posting them online in any form.

This is fairly typical, although I agree that some of the terms are conflicting or vague as far as making your own copies (allowed) but not distributing those copies (not allowed).