The government is facing a barrage of criticism over its plans to introduce legislation which detractors protest will give free rein to companies wishing to use them for commercial purposes.
The Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act is designed to apply to so called ‘orphan work’ that is content in which the owner or copyright holder cannot be established – be that because they are dead or simply a lack of data encoded in the picture.
Such pieces are common online where visuals are commonly copied and reposted, often without any clear link to the owner, making an accurate trace of the owners true identity nigh on impossible.
Although it was given Royal Assent last week its content remain unclear, prompting opponents to go up in arms over fears that it could make virtually all online content fair game for copying.
Backers counter that the legislation will allow organisations to undertake the mass digitisation of physical collections locked away in catalogues and libraries, with charges applicable for views and print reproductions.
Niko Ruokosuo, CEO of crowdsourcing photo service Scoopshot, said: "the Act means that orphan images can be used or licensed without permission or payment. That means that photos shared online could show up in ads for just about anything, without any warning. Aside from being deeply unethical, the Act shows a complete disregard for the public’s rights."