Copyright Aid

A bit of advice please.
When I worked for a national organisation, I had several images taken of me whilst at work. I left this employment 6 months ago.

Now, one of these photos, which is mostly a a full face pic is being used by my former employer in a national marketing campaign, without my permission. These ads take the form of quarter page to full page ads in national newspapers.

Do I have any claim to recompense from my former employer. I am now self employed and feel these ads may deter prospective customers who recognise me.

Any advice.

Well this is not a copyright matter - copyright will reside with the photographer or the company.

Generally speaking an individual may object to the use of their image if the use is derogatory - i.e. unfairly maligns or damages the individual's reputation. I suppose the main issue is whether you understood that you image would be used in this manner when the photos were taken - surely you must have known that they wanted to use your image when the photos were taken (otherwise why take the photos??).

If you feel that you have been intentionally mislead or the images portray you in a derogatory manner, I would suggest that you consult a solicitor.

If you do pursue this matter, I'd love to hear how you get on....