HC Deb 17 August 1911 vol 29 cc2174-5

The term for which copyright shall subsist in photographs shall be fifty years from the making of the original negative from which the photograph was directly or indirectly derived, and the person who was the owner of such negative at the time when such negative was made shall be deemed to be the author of the work, and where such owner is a body corporate, the body corporate shall be deemed for the purposes of this Act to reside within the parts of His Majesty's Dominions to which this Act extends, if it has established a place of business within such parts.

Mr. BOOTH

I beg to move, at the end of the Clause to add the words, "Provided that if a photographer takes a portrait without the consent of the subject, and the features of the person photographed can be identified, the royalty shall vest in such person in the same way as if the said person had been the photographer."

I put this down by request. The object, of course, is to protect various distinguished people from being subjected to snapshotters. There are people whose appearance and make-up is a great asset. I venture to say any photograph of our distinguished Speaker would command great sale when he is in full attire. People may wish to be photographed in certain surroundings and not in others. I was present the other day at a conference in this House between a very wealthy Member and one of the most prominent Socialists. Fancy a photograph of those two entitled "The Millionaire and the Socialist." I think people should have some right to make their own arrangements with regard to protographing, and that they should not be subject to the attention of snapshotters all over the country. I brought forward this Amendment at the request of a distinguished member of the Committee which sat on the Royal Commission. There is no doubt one, or two very bad cases have occurred, and this Amendment is really meant to deal with such cases. I cannot see that any harm could be done to the public interest by the acceptance of such an Amendment as this.

Mr. J. WARD

I beg to second the Amendment.

Sir J. SIMON

I am sure we all sympathise with the object the hon. Gentleman has in view, namely, of protecting the victim from the impertinence of unsolicited photographs. I doubt very much, however, if his Amendment would provide the proper remedy, and in the circumstances the Government cannot acept it.

Mr. BOOTH

I regret the hon. and learned Gentleman does not see his way to accept the Amendment, but in view of the contract entered into between the two Front Benches I am, of course, powerless.

Amendment negatived.