Copyright

The work of Claudius Schulze is licensed under the Creative Commons by-nc-nd 3.0 license terms and protected by German copyright laws. Additional contract details are included in the Terms & Conditions.

Let me explain a little bit more what that means. First of all, the German copyright law (UrhG) gives a very strong protection to the artist, much more than e.g. the American. For instance, the copyright cannot be transferred in Germany by any mean but inheritance. Hence, no contract can ‘take’ the copyright but can only grand usage rights. Secondly, the Creative Commons by-nc-nd 3.0 license grants some rights to non-commercial usage:

You are free to use my pictures if you

• credit me, e.g. by putting Photograph: Claudius Schulze, including a link to my website http://claudiusschulze.com
• do not alter them. Altering includes any change of the picture. For example the removal of the copyright watermark, cropping, photoshopping, or changing colours and saturation.
• use them non-commercially – only personal and non-commercial use of my pictures is allowed. Attention: whenever there is money involved  (that does not require earnings!) is commercial usage and thus illegal according to this contract. For instance, blogs with ads (e.g. Google Adsense) or (political) campaigning (also by the most sympathetic NGO) do NOT fall under the royalty waiver of this license.

If you do not fulfil ALL of these criteria you are NOT allowed to use any of my work without a special license agreement. Please contact me immediately and before you start using my work. If you fail to do so, my standard royalties are eligible. For example, a single usage online charges 100 Euro, a print up to two columns wide 200 Euro, larger than that 500 Euros. According to German laws and ruling, these royalties double in case of non or incorrect credits. Further contractual penalty of up to 500% may become due for usage that has not been agreed upon beforehand.

In general, I am liberal about my copyright and happy to see my work published. However, bear in mind that I have to make my living – photography is my profession. Please don’t steal!

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER: I AM NOT YOUR ATTORNEY AND THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS COPYRIGHT FAQ IS FOR YOUR GENERAL INFORMATION ONLY. THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS FAQ IS NOT LEGAL ADVICE OF ANY KIND. THIS FAQ MAY NOT COVER IMPORTANT ISSUES THAT AFFECT YOUR USE OF CONTENT.  YOU MAY WISH TO CONSULT THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS WITH AN ATTORNEY.