I am interested in creating a site where people can post pics, paragraphs, descriptions of pics (even if not true... like jokes)... but can this be done with pics of people, movie stars, sports folks, etc.? Perez Hilton does this kind of thing. Could I be sued if others post material like that to a site I would own? Also does it matter if I make money on the site? And if I buy stock photos are they mine to use, joke about? I am thinking this could be like the Enquirer getting sued for fake information.
They also get sued for it, but make enough money to buy their way out of problems. Prez actually hasn't owned the site for years. He sold it. Depends on the license. They do try to protect the photos so that one site doesn't do something stupid that ruins the photo for everyone else using it. Some prohibit you from doing things like saying that a model dressed up as a doctor is actually a doctor and things like that.
You are free to use photos for news, commentary, and teaching. That's why people make money selling photos of celebs to magazines & newspapers. Just give credit. You cannot use them in ads or advertising. Click on a photo of a celeb in wikipedia and it will tell you the fair use policy. Stephen C
Thanks for the information, both of you. Sounds like a lawsuit waiting to happen if jokes are involved.