Who has copyright on images?

This is just one thought. I make a part of the team that runs portal on Istria, and recently we had few interesting situations. Manny photos on our site has been taken by Mr. Igor Drandić (already mentioned in previous posts) which runs an ecological organization eia. So, he found that one person used his photos in promotional campaigns, and when he called him, that person said that pictures was taken from internet, and that this is completely legal. Strange statement… (By the way, this person is some little politician, so this is in accordance with general opinion on them: take everything, pay nothing, and “I’ am important”).
Other example is when one online agency (commercial site) took our photos and put them on their site, without even mentioning us for reference. As we strive to provide good content on our site, probably there are many such a cases.
So, seams that we live in the world where everyone price his own work, and belittle other efforts. Some (or many) people that we call “successful” are not creative, positive, oriented to common good, are not leaders that leads others in better life: they know how to exploit people and their creative energy for their own scopes. Working for such persons, people doesn’t obtain own freedom, but are forced into exploitation. My consideration is that slavery was never ended, instead it only changed clothing.
We can say that we are free, but if we does not work for somebody(for most people without any chance to gain financial freedom in their lifetime), how should we survive? We are bound in circle of earning and spending… So you see: if we are bound, how can bee free? My opinion is that this is modern slavery. Consider for instance a big marts as “Mercatone”, “Getro”, “Mercator”, “Billa” … (to mention some present in Croatia): they work every day, even Sunday: Because of profit. They force their employees to work on Sundays for very small salary, by which they certainly cannot gain financial freedom. Are that people free to go where they want? Are that people free to quit their job (and if they quit, they’ll get similar one)? Can this people with this job, working on Sundays, become rich so satisfy some other needs out of simply food, habitation and clothing (ok, and cell phone and car… but this isn’t something extra)? Someone cannot even that. So what is difference? We are exploited today as we was in past.

The freedom comes inside

This is outside situation, from inside we really are free. We really can choose and influence who we will become, what we will do. But this strength must come from inside us. Manny will say that till someone don’t loose someone other want win. This simply is not truth. This concept is widely accepted in life and promoted by those who gains power by exploiting others creative and vital energy. The only thing that bind us are our fears, thoughts and desires. So, I will call again to develop self-confidence, self-appreciation and creativity: this would give us happy life, and if it’s Good’s will: the freedom.

So, who owns the images?

Finally let’s go back to the beginning. Who can own the air, who can own and pay sun and sea? If we take picture of them, we do it in seconds, but nature has deposit in their development bilions of years… If we take picture of a citty: hundred generations has put their entire lifetimes in it: untill all was built in way it’s today. Are we appreciating this enough? We think that we have right to use all this, in way we want, withouth thinking on gratitude and contributions. Nothing of this is ours. We are only using it and must be gratefull.
So in one photo that we take, our contribution is so small: smaller than a second compared to eons. But this contribution still exists, and it is right to be appreciated, appreciated by our selves an others!