Unauthorized use of a photo

[John1_Doe]

I was wondering if anyone could help me out with a question in regards to copyrights.This topic was posted on several forums .

I'm a volunteer firemen. I took a photo of a fire truck for our firehouse. The photo was posted on the township photo gallery. Recently that photo was used in a political flyer for an upcoming election. I did not give permission to that political party to use my photo nor did they ask the township if they could use it. Do I have any grounds to stand on to go after them for using my photo with out permissions?

Any help/direction would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Epicfied]

I don't know exactly on this legal issue, but it can never hurt to say something about it.
If you're really curious, call a local law office and ask a few questions on copyright.
I wish I could be more help to you. Good Luck.

 

[youredthiswrong]

Yes, you actually do. I've read of cases in which this exact same thing happened, someone took a photo that was then used for a political campaign - and for completely FAKE purposes! If you can prove you're the real owner of the photo, I guess speaking to a lawyer would be the best. Every country's jurisdiction differs from one another.

 

[QuirkyJessi]

Yes, you have grounds. If you simply want them to stop using it, you can contact them and tell them to do so. If they don't, a lawyer can issue a cease and desist order.

If you're wanting to get some sort of compensation, that's a slightly different story. They used it in a flyer, but they're not making money off it. They'd more than likely say they're using them within the "fair usage" clause and it wouldn't get anywhere. The best you can really hope for is to just make them stop using it.