Miniatures photos

[Cynthia Celeste Miller]

We've recently started working on a post-apocalyptic miniatures game that was designed specifically to allow pretty much any 30mm sci-fi type of miniature to be used.  This is handled by enabling the players to create their characters from scratch so they can make the stats match the figure.

We're planning to include a lot of photos that show miniatures in action, complete with loads of terrain and such.  This sounds well and good, but I'm not sure about the legalities of this.  Let's say one of the miniatures photographed is a Reaper miniature.  Can we legally show it in a published book, given that it's not from our own miniatures line?

Thanks in advance.  :)

[anonymouse]

Email Reaper and ask! I know that (especially in Europe) there are a number of miniatures-focused magazines which, of course, show photos of painted miniatures from lots of different companies, so there's certainly a kind of precedent in the business.

But just call or email any companies involved, most of them have some online presence.

[Cynthia Celeste Miller]

That sounds like something to try out.  The worst they could do is say "no".  Thanks.

[Michael S. Miller]

WARNING: The following is truthful anecdote, NOT legal advice in any way.

When I was in grad school, one of my professors was writing a book on the history of toys. He asked if anyone in class had toys of their youth that he could photograph for the book (He-Man action figures, to be exact). He explained that copyright forbade him from reproducing promotional artwork, but if he took his own photos, the copyright belonged to him.

I seem to recall that copyright with photography belongs to whomever clicks the shutter. If you think about it, do you need the permission of Coca-Cola, Inc. to print a photo of someone drinking a Coke? No. To reproduce the logo, then yes. But not just a photo. I mean, how could anyone ever publish a picture of the inside of a store? Or Times Square, for that matter?

Of course, there are stories of product placement problems in Hollywood.... I don't know anything about those.

[Andrew Martin]

Of course, there are stories of product placement problems in Hollywood.... I don't know anything about those.

The stories I've heard is that the studios ask for and get a fee for placing products in movies. When watching movies, you can become concious of this by noticing that when this happens, the product logos always face the viewer. When this doesn't happen, all the product logos are hidden or obscured.