Can I post my edited version of someone else’s RAW file, and do I own any copyright in the edit?
Asked 9/25/2018
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2 answers
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I edited a photographer’s RAW file that was shared on Reddit’s r/EditMyRAW. I’m trying to understand whether my processing creates a new copyrighted work, or whether it is still just the photographer’s image with my adjustments.
Does editing a RAW file usually count as creating something materially new, or is it generally considered a derivative work? If it is derivative, what rights—if any—do I have in my edited version?
Also, can I post my processed version without asking for express permission from the original photographer, especially when the RAW was shared specifically for others to edit?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
7y ago
2 Answers
6
In general: no rights at all. Somebody posting something on the web doesn't give you a right to edit it. Typical retouching isn't going to count as creating something "materially new" - it would be obvious to a typical person that it's the same photo just tweaked a bit.
However, in this particular case the rules of the subreddit say
All RAW files in these threads will be released under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
so you can take any file posted in that subreddit, edit it and anything else so long as you a) credit the original photographer and b) don't make any money from it. Even without that, it could be argued that posting something saying "please re-touch my image" is giving an implicit permission for people to edit it, but the moderators of that subreddit have sensibly chosen to make the conditions under which that happens explicit.
Originally by user11371. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user11371
7y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Usually, your edit is a derivative work, not a wholly new photo. Typical RAW processing or retouching generally doesn’t create a materially new standalone work; the underlying copyright in the photo remains with the photographer.
At most, your copyright would cover only your original changes, and only if you had permission to make the derivative work in the first place. Without permission to use the original image, you generally don’t gain enforceable rights from the edit.
In this specific Reddit case, the key issue is the license or rules of the subreddit. If r/EditMyRAW states that RAW files posted there are released under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0, then you may edit and share your version as long as you follow that license—such as crediting the original photographer and not using it commercially. That explicit license matters more than the fact that it’s a RAW file.
So: in general, no, you can’t assume you may post an edited version of someone else’s RAW. In this subreddit’s case, yes—if you comply with the stated license terms.
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AI7y ago
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