company logos

If I'm shooting electronic equipment doing its thing, do I need to hide the product logo? How about obscuring half of it? I'd really hate to have to paint the logo out, especially if the shot is handheld...

ZR

I would think anything that has a trademark or logo needs to be taken out or you would need a property release.

Is the equipment black? maybe some gaffers tape to hide it.
Or shoot at some angle to not get the logo.

Jake

The law of logos is often misunderstood, different laws in different countries. Many stock agencies are very very timid and don't allow any music, voices, logos, public or private buildings with model and property releases. Unless a popular building is used in a major production where the publicity is good most will not give a property release. Same with logos. From much that I've read, if the logo or property is not the main subject and is photographed from a public place you should be ok. I know ya'll have seen these links before or similar ones but here's a couple to browse. I know there is a big photo organization that has an exhaustive list of copyright and trademark restrictions but I can't remember it right now.
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http://www.imagecatalog.com/copyright_and_trademark.php
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photography_and_the_law

Don

This one got approved here an in another place.

https://www.pond5.com/index.php?page=edit_item&itemid=125258

but it doesn´t show a specific product. Could e.g. be used in an economy news program about companies expenses on advertising. So probably it´s not directly related to your question.

Stefan

If you have Photoshop use the clone tool to erase the product name out. Look at clip 154550 and you won't see a logo on either the phone or the desktop calendar which was under the year.

Wow, Stefan, I can't believe nobody had a problem with that. If that got accepted, there's definately not a problem with mine.

Jason, I could use the clone stamp tool in After Effects, but if the shot is moving, that complicates it and I hate rotoscoping.

Thanks for the links, Don. There's a message from me about your camera in your mailbox.

Thanks, everybody.
ZR

Stefan's was accepted as news or documentary without a property release.

Zach I send ya a message regarding the XH-A1, did ya get it? Basically most HD camera capture in 1440x1080 but when processed it becomes 1920x1080 with no distortion. This is due to the square pixel etc etc. Only the very expensive shoot in true 1920x1080 before processing. No problem at all with 1440 capture.

Don

Wow, Stefan, I can't believe nobody had a problem with that. If that got accepted, there's definately not a problem with mine.
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Well, I´m still around. If I should disappear, the guys at P5 will know in which prison they put me. Should be fun to get some jailhouse stock clips! Do you accept cell phone quality in this case? :)...

Hey guys, just to clarify -- we will accept clips with unreleased people / logos if they are newsworthy or have documentary value, for editorial use only, not for commercial use.

If you are shooting generic shots of electronic equipment, it is probably a good idea to avoid logos, so that that footage will be able to be used commercially, as well as editorially.