ndy Stedman of No Treason on I’m Copyright:
My wife just tried to get Wal-Mart to make copies of this (mildly embarassing) picture of me, and several others from my childhood. They refused to allow her to copy this one and all the other professional-looking ones, despite the absence of any copyright marks. I don’t even know that school photographers in the 1970’s claimed to own the copyrights on pictures they took.
Now, I understand Wal-Mart’s desire to cover its collective ass, and certainly assert no right to force them to allow me to use their equipment against their will, but there is something very wrong when the copyright holders have managed to bully companies into forgoing business, presuming that the potential customer is attempting to do something illegal. How is the customer to prove a negative, that no one (else) holds a copyright to a particular photograph?
Wal-Mart can hire some real dumbasses sometimes. My wife and I tried to write a check at a local Wal-Mart. They said they couldn’t accept the check because there is a post office box for the address. Of course there is a p.o. box for the address. Identity theft and financial security experts agree that you should NOT put your home address on your checks if you can help it. Even some financial institutions will suggest you not use your home address if possible. Of course, this information fell on deaf ears when I explained it to the assistant idiot manager at our local Wal-Mart. Rules are rules and common sense is outmoded. Further, in Virginia, you can put your p.o. box on your drivers license, as we have done. After showing the idiot assistant manager that even our drivers licenses have our p.o. box on them he said, “that doesn’t matter, we can’t accept checks with p.o. boxes on them.” Why? “We just can’t.” Even when the address matches the drivers license? “Nope, we just can’t.” You’re just a mindless automaton aren’t you? (blank stare and eyes glaze over)
They really don’t want my money anymore. I left over $700 worth of computer accessories and groceries there in the checkout aisle. Best Buy and Target, however, wanted my money.
After all, rules are rules. I can’t have Wal-Mart profiting from my use of a p.o. box. That would be, like, wrong and stuff.