Cover-Art allowed to use in social media etc.?

[crataegus]

While listening to "Distance Over Time" I created a Background-image for my desktop, as Linux-freak I put a penguin instead of the skull in the robot hand, see pic. My question is: Am I allowed to use this as background-picture in social media for my personal use? Where do I have to ask?

[The Walrus]

Don't see why you'd have to ask. I photoshop stuff all the freaking time, if it's your own personal use and you're not making money off it, I don't think there's an issue. Like your Facebook cover photo? I think it's a neat picture, what you've done.

I once photoshopped the heads of me and my friend into the Avengers: Infinity War, Goodfellas, and The Last Jedi posters, and my friend had a couple of them blown up and framed for his apartment. I've had a Game of Thrones promo pic photoshopped with my head on it as my Facebook profile photo for years. Go for it. 

[TAC]

K'Lox...he's talking about cool stuff.

[The Walrus]

K'Lox...he's talking about cool stuff.

Did you just call Goodfellas uncool?! Bike racks at 3:30, be there 

[pg1067]

If you're in the U.S., what you're describing is the making and public display of an unauthorized derivative, which is copyright infringement.  That it's for "your own personal use and you're not making money off it" doesn't change that, but it does mean that there's virtually no chance that anyone with rights in the underlying images will care.

It's also worth pointing out that the robot hand is something that Hugh Syme apparently took from a stock image, so he has virtually no basis to come after you even if he did care.

[cramx3]

Yea, I don't think you're going to have any problems.  It's not like you are selling a manipulated DT copyrighted image.  That robot arm is stock anyway so I think this isn't even really a problem of copyright.  I could be wrong, but even if its just for personal use on social media, you aren't going to have the law going after you.

[Samsara]

PG nailed it. Technically, that IS a copyright violation. But its sorta pointless for the copyright holder to come down on you for it.

All of our avatars are copyright violations too (for the most part). 

[pg1067]

All of our avatars are copyright violations too (for the most part). 

Not mine!   

It's a photo that I personally took, developed, printed and scanned.  The original print is hanging in my office, and I still have the negative at home.

[Samsara]

All of our avatars are copyright violations too (for the most part). 

Not mine!   

It's a photo that I personally took, developed, printed and scanned.  The original print is hanging in my office, and I still have the negative at home.

 

I covered myself with "(for the most part)." 

It's so funny the practical application of law, and the textbooks say. I've been working in the legal arena for years, and my entire law school degree is almost comedy in terms of usage, except for the practical elements of it.

[TAC]

All of our avatars are copyright violations too (for the most part). 

Not mine!   

It's a photo that I personally took, developed, printed and scanned.  The original print is hanging in my office, and I still have the negative at home.

Hey mine too!

[The Walrus]

This thread inspired me to use my GoT pic as my avatar 

[bosk1]

Well, my avatar is just me, so...

[cramx3]

All of our avatars are copyright violations too (for the most part). 

Not mine!   

It's a photo that I personally took, developed, printed and scanned.  The original print is hanging in my office, and I still have the negative at home.

Hey mine too!

scanned 

My logo is my own (including the girl, I own that image of her not her obviously), but I use band logos on youtube thumbnail art, I mean, I already post their live music and it often gets a copyright claim by the record label and they monetize my video so I figured it's all good, but if someone wanted to go after me, they could.  So far the only one to do so has been Glenn Danzig.

[pg1067]

All of our avatars are copyright violations too (for the most part). 

Not mine!   

It's a photo that I personally took, developed, printed and scanned.  The original print is hanging in my office, and I still have the negative at home.

Hey mine too!

scanned 

My logo is my own (including the girl, I own that image of her not her obviously), but I use band logos on youtube thumbnail art, I mean, I already post their live music and it often gets a copyright claim by the record label and they monetize my video so I figured it's all good, but if someone wanted to go after me, they could.  So far the only one to do so has been Glenn Danzig.

Well...he's always got something to say.

[crataegus]

Thanks for all answers! You are right, on the cover stock-photos are used, I found the robot hand here: https://www.istockphoto.com/gb/photo/robot-hand-reaching-gesture-or-holding-object-3d-rendering-gm866930418-144218577 . I will buy my own license, put my own logo at the arm and everything is fine :-)

Concerning use of pictures in the internet there is a great discussion right now. I am from Germany and the whole EU is kind of going crazy at the moment. A lot of "unemployed lawyers" are scanning all websites for discrepancies concerning licences, copyright and data-protection, even personal blogs. Everybody claims China for the restricted internet-access ... in Europe they are on the way to get even worse.

[crataegus]