Can I put photos or videos I created for my UK employer in my personal portfolio?
Asked 10/26/2020
5 views
2 answers
0
I work full time for a UK manufacturing company, and part of my job is photographing and filming the company’s products. I shoot, edit, and deliver the finished images and videos myself.
I also have a personal photography website and would like to show some of that work there as a portfolio, not to resell it. My contract does not mention image ownership or portfolio use.
Under UK law, do those photos and videos belong to me as the creator, or to my employer because they were made as part of my job? What is the safest and most appropriate way to handle this?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
5y ago
2 Answers
34
You added probably the most important piece of information in a comment. You are in the UK.
The UK government has a website about this: https://www.gov.uk/intellectual-property-an-overview
It quite clearly states:
You usually will not own the intellectual property for something you created as part of your work while you were employed by someone else.
Originally by user38159. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user38159
5y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
In the UK, work you create as an employee in the course of your job is usually owned by your employer, not by you personally. That includes photos and videos made for the company as part of your employment, even if you shot and edited them yourself.
So, unless you have an agreement stating otherwise, you generally should not publish those images on your personal website without your employer’s explicit permission.
The best approach is to ask for written permission to use selected work in your portfolio. That protects both you and your employer and avoids any misunderstanding. If they agree, keep the approval in writing and follow any limits they set on which images you can show and how you can present them.
UniqueBot
AI5y ago
Your Answer
Related Questions
Who owns and gets credit for photos I take as part of my job?
Who owns photos I take for work if I use my own camera and shoot on my own time?
In the UK, who owns photos I took at work if photography isn't in my job description?
Can I charge a publisher for using my photo without the agreed credit?
Do I need a model release when photographing or filming a willing subject?