School images being placed on BEBO etc

[mikkistorey]

I'm trying to think of a way to let kids know that they can't take pictures of staff, pupils or school buildings and bung them onto their websites / social networking sites / blogs without permission. Ideally, Id like to stop them publishing pictures of each other in school uniform as well.

 

I'm wondering if the school can claim to "own" the rights to any photographic images taken on site, or to "own" the school uniform / School Name etc. and thereby tell pupils they can't use the school name, uniform etc on their websites without asking permission first.

 

Also - how do you cover this? I dont think it should go in the Internet AUP as that is aimed at school use only.

 

Has anyone already covered this?

[ICTNUT]

We have a school wide AUP which covers many different areas but is very ICT biased, runs at around 70 pages.

 

Within this we simply state that photos taken on site cannot be used outside of the school without prior werriten permission from the school and that this includes those taken on mobile phones, digital cameras, video cameras and such.

 

We also put a cluase in there about distribution of such images and videos and that this was also a no no.

 

You cannot claim to "own" any video or image just becouse it was taken on site nor can you claim ownership of the uniform as this has been paid for by the parents and you would then need to have some kind of "opt out" thats when things get messy.

 

The next thing you need to think about is enforcement and policing. If someone did take a photo while on site and placed it up on bebo or the likes how are you going to know about it???

 

There is a lot to this and if you let will take up all your time.

[contink]

Perhaps the thing to consider is how the school have dealt with children doing anything inappropriate whilst off site in school uniform where they "represent the school".

 

If you can get an answer as to how that is dealt with that may give you a start point...

[FN-GM]

You may try to stop it but you wont. I bet 99% of the kids have mobiles with cameras and about 70% bring them to school regular. I used to bring mine everyday. I have photos of my friends in there uniforms, i used to like going to school and with the people who go there.

[contink]

You may try to stop it but you wont. I bet 99% of the kids have mobiles with cameras and about 70% bring them to school regular.

 

That may have been true a year ago but the law changed recently allowing teachers and schools to confiscate all those electronic gizmo's when abused so it's now legally do-able... Pragmatics? Well who knows but unless you have an AUP that specifies it you don't have solid "you've been warned" grounds on which to act.

[FN-GM]

That still wouldn't stop them bringing them. It wouldn't have stopped me.

[contink]

That still wouldn't stop them bringing them. It wouldn't have stopped me.

Perhaps not but that doesn't mean you shouldn't put this sort of thing in place.

 

I guess the thing to remember is that you talk to parents when you're too old to get sent to your room and you find out that your folks were the worst sort of hypocrits and were trying hard not to laugh when you got caught out doing stuff they remember doing. You still got landed on and it's no different in schools.

 

You may have done it, or do it if you were in their shoes but that's not your job and you just can't ignore it. You're on the other side of the fence now.

 

So, the question has to be, "What would stop you?"

[localzuk]

We have a no mobile phone rule. All phones must be handed in to the office, and anyone caught with one is either sent to the office with it, or if they are a repeat offender, are punished for it.

[FN-GM]

That still wouldn't stop them bringing them. It wouldn't have stopped me.

Perhaps not but that doesn't mean you shouldn't put this sort of thing in place.

 

I guess the thing to remember is that you talk to parents when you're too old to get sent to your room and you find out that your folks were the worst sort of hypocrits and were trying hard not to laugh when you got caught out doing stuff they remember doing. You still got landed on and it's no different in schools.

 

You may have done it, or do it if you were in their shoes but that's not your job and you just can't ignore it. You're on the other side of the fence now.

 

So, the question has to be, "What would stop you?"

 

Im not on anysides if i caught a pupil with one i would hand it into the office im just pointing out what alot of pupils think

[Ric_]

I don't know if the word 'illegal' is the correct one but I was under the impression that you could not publish an image of someone without their consent.

[russdev]

Law as it stands if you are in public place you can take photo and publish it (as long as you don't use it to 'tarnish' the person image as then they could sue you).

 

Exceptions to this rule are goverment buildings etc or landmarks that that copyrighted image such as Efiel Tower or areas that may compromise security (london underground good example).

 

In not in public then you need persons permission..

 

So while a photographer could in law come take a picture of school playground from public footpath any 'real' photographer would know not to that as police would be called etc etc as security of children trumps that part of law etc.

 

Later will find some sources in that info..

 

Russell

[AlexB]

If entry to school ground's is conditional on photos not being taken then taking photos is trespass. In England/Wales you can be sued for damages for trespassing.

 

Thats about as good has it gets for us

 

This of course does not help you after the fact if you didn't have clear signs up about taking photos.

[AlexB]

I don't know if the word 'illegal' is the correct one but I was under the impression that you could not publish an image of someone without their consent.

 

Sry Ric, but I'm going to sum this up with....

 

Not a chance!

 

 

If only it was the case.

[Anti]

> That may have been true a year ago but the law changed recently

> allowing teachers and schools to confiscate all those electronic gizmo's

> when abused so it's now legally do-able.

 

That is so depressing. Teacher's have been confiscating stuff ever since Socrates took away Plato's Rubik Cube. Did it really require a nod from the law?

 

mikkistorey,

all you can do is ban general use of cameras and phones from school, and use small-sized, 72dpi, wide-shot, group photos on the website, ensuring it is stated on the website & policy that media is not to be used elsewhere.

 

Whatever happens after that, you have very little control over. At best, you may find out which pupil has published photos/videos and could ask their parents to make the pupil delete them. But usually the author is anonymous and the webhosts like Bebo are very unresponsive.

[Grommit]

Any student Mobile Phone, MP3 player, Hat, Hoodie, Camera is confiscated on sight.

 

No-one (Staff, Teachers, Students, Visitors) are allowed to take pictures onsite unless authorised by the Head Teacher...

 

Anyone that is caught taking pictures is detained by Non Classroom Based Teaching Assistants and their cameras or phones purged...

 

Anyone taking pictures from off of the site are detained until the Police are called.

 

End Of.... :-)

[russdev]

>But usually the author is anonymous and the webhosts like Bebo are very unresponsive.

 

I have to say BeBo where very good when certain techie was impersonated on BEBO sent email and it was removed.

 

I am more just annoyed they thought I was 10 years older..

 

Main thing we had issue with was person who created the bebo account was sending messages to other students saying they where me (nothing nasty). But this of course could have has serious implications..

 

 

Russell

[Busybub]

I don't know if the word 'illegal' is the correct one but I was under the impression that you could not publish an image of someone without their consent.

 

A picture release is required if you are on a commercial shoot for some type of publication. Typically in the form of a written contract.

 

Anybody can take pictures of anybody else from a public place, voyeurism and invasion of privacy being separate issues from the act of taking the picture itself.

[localzuk]

Anyone that is caught taking pictures is detained by Non Classroom Based Teaching Assistants and their cameras or phones purged...

 

Anyone taking pictures from off of the site are detained until the Police are called.

 

End Of.... :-)

 

What do you mean 'purged'? You have the right to confiscate the cameras (from pupils only, not anyone else) but you do not have the right to do anything other than lock them somewhere. The data on the card belongs to that person, not the school and accessing it could be classed as a breach of the Computer Misuse Act, as most mobile phones are now computers. It would also be a breach of the Data Protection Act, as you do not have permission to use that data etc...

 

Also, if people off-site are taking photos, under what law are you detaining them? This would be a significant breach of the person's rights to a) freedom of expression and b) freedom of movement, and could land the school in significant trouble.

[contink]

A couple of my schools are in long recognised areas where there's a lot of fostering so we we have quite a few children where the use of a camera on site has to be VERY carefully regulated.

 

There's no policy in place as far as I know for children using cameras but parents and staff are advised that they cannot share or otherwise publish photos of anyone other than their own children.

 

In this instance the safety of the children is paramount and whilst it might be trampling on someones civil rights I'd like to think that stopping homicidal parent from getting hold of Junior, trumps "oooh look at this nice snap of X", any day.