SA Who Owns the Rights to Instagram Photos?

[Jo stein]

If a hairdresser takes a photo of their work in the salon they are employed by, and posts it on their personal Instagram, who owns the photo? The salon requested they watermark the photo with the business name so they did.

 

[Rod]

Depends - what does the employment contract say about IP created in the course of employment?

 

[Tim W]

TLDR: Your boss owns copyright in art you create on work time.

Depends - what does the employment contract say about IP created in the course of employment?

Absent any specific terms to the contrary,
artistic work created on "work time" belongs to the employer.

In the case of bona fide employed hairdressers, that's certainly the case.

In the case of chair-hire hairdressers, i don't know that it's ever been tested in court.
That being said, chair hire is basically sham contracting, so I don't see it being any different.

 

[karissatbeltran]

You still own the copyright to your photos, but by posting them, you give the platform permission to use, distribute, and modify them as outlined in their terms of service.

 

[LostEcho]

If you’ve taken the photos yourself, you still own the copyright, even after posting them. Instagram’s terms allow them to use and share your content, but they don’t take ownership. If you want to display your own pictures at home, wifi-enabled photo frames with calendar and clock features are a great way to do it without giving up control of your photos to external platforms or services.