Model releases--animals

Hi there--I have been out of action for a bit--not much time for anything. I designed a desktop calendar and notecard set(local wild birds) that has me working overtime to get them printed and orders filled. This is a good thing!! LOL!
I am designing a second calendar featuring working border collie dogs
The dog images for the most part will be from competition trials where the public was allowed in to watch.
I took pictures at these events as the official photographer, and offered the images on the web for sale.
There will be no people in the images--just dogs and maybe a few sheep, but not all images will be of my dogs.

Question here is--Do I need model releases for these dogs from their owners (who will be thrilled, I am sure, that the dogs are in the calendar)?
Thanks for any advice!

Bonnie, rather be safe than sorry. If you get the release, you can all be happy :)

Bonnie

I have no idea about your question, but I do have a question for you. If you were the official photog and were hired to do the job you may not even have rights to the pictures. I have heard this argued before and I still don't know the outcome.

Bill

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Fabs Forns

Bonnie, rather be safe than sorry. If you get the release, you can all be happy :)

---

Yes, Fabs--you are probably right. I am not sure I even know what dog belongs to a specific person--and sometimes people don't even know their own dog. LOL!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by William Malacarne

Bonnie

I have no idea about your question, but I do have a question for you. If you were the official photog and were hired to do the job you may not even have rights to the pictures. I have heard this argued before and I still don't know the outcome.

Bill

---

Well, Bill--even though I was the official photograper---no one paid me to be that, nor were there any formal contracts drawn up. They expected that I would be selling photos that were taken.
I suppose if I was working for someone else, that would be a whole other kettle of fish!

In addition to model releases there are also property releases which are often used for things like motor cars. My guess is that you might need a property release for pets . . . and especially prize-winning, pedigreed animals which might have cost their owners lots of money.

The Photographers Market (they release a new one each year) should have specific info, it's a cheap paperback. I'd think you do need the release.

Congrats on your calendar!

Bonnie,

Here is a link to Carolyn Wright's site. She is an attorney with experience in this area and has been very helpful on another forum.

http://www.photoattorney.com/

Cheers,

Jim

Her advice, read on another site, is that, kin the U.S. releases are not needed for pets unless there is a copyright or trademark involved.

Wow! All interesting, everyone! Food for thought for sure. I think I will try to get at least a very simple release for the images that I use--hopefully I can figure out whose dogs they are! LOL! As I said before--the people can't always pick out the correct picture of their own dogs when looking at several hundred images on a site.