Questions About Stock Footage Regulations.

[Eazy Cheezy]

Okay, so I want to get into selling stock footage. I have the gear, I have the locations, but I also have a few questions. Like, what are some regulations on images/logos/branded content? For example: could I go to a place like Disney World or Universal Studios and take random b-roll inside the parks and then sell it online? Or do I need to have some kind of special permission/license to do so? I would ask somewhere else, but this is the only forum I'm a part of.  Any help is much appreciated! 

[yathis]

inside the park, no

youd need permission

Everything is trade marked and copy righted, so you'd have a hard time.

This is why even reality tv shows will use black tape to hide the logos of say Ford on a hat.

 

Why dont you call Mr. Walt Disney himself and ask him, he resides in Glendale California, in Forest Lawn. Bring a shovel, do some work for the man, he'd really appreciate it.

 

[jmart604]

Interesting question. The following response from me does not constitute legal advice.

 

Generally speaking, you own copyright in any image you create, including photos.

 

Your Disney World example throws a bit of a wrinkle into this, as it's private property that holds itself out to the public primarily for the purpose of tourism.

 

You probably need permission if you're entering the parks for the primary purpose of taking photos for profit. If you just buy a ticket and walk into the parks, the understanding between you and Disney is that you are there as a tourist, not as someone on business. (If you're walking around public property, like a city street, this wouldn't apply.)

 

For WDW specifically, Walt Disney World Media Relations is who you'd need to speak with. Their contact info should be easy enough to find.

 

I'd also recommend seeing if you can get in touch with Tom Bricker, who runs Disney Tourist Blog, a really great site with information and reviews of different Disney attractions (as well as Universal). He's a photographer and posts tons of photos from inside WDW on his site, and he's also a lawyer by trade so he might be able to share some of his experiences/insights with you.

 

He's always replying to visitor comments and whatnot so I imagine he wouldn't be too hard to get in touch with. www.disneytouristblog.com

[jmart604]

3 minutes ago, yathis said:

inside the park, no

youd need permission

Everything is trade marked and copy righted, so you'd have a hard time.

This is why even reality tv shows will use black tape to hide the logos of say Ford on a hat.

 

Why dont you call Mr. Walt Disney himself and ask him, he resides in Glendale California, in Forest Lawn. Bring a shovel, do some work for the man.

 

Walt Disney has been dead for decades...

[yathis]

Just now, jmart604 said:

Walt Disney has been dead for decades...

Yes, you did not get the joke

[jmart604]

1 minute ago, yathis said:

Yes, you did not get the joke

Obviously it's been a long week!

[yathis]

Just now, jmart604 said:

Obviously it's been a long week!

.....and its just Wednesday!!!!! Fun Fun Fun

aka Hump Day