denise

Also - conferences may not count as "public events" in many states, because the conference has an entrance fee and limitations on who can attend, which means it isn't "open to the public" the same way things must be to qualify as "public events" under journalism laws.

I do that too, Fae - and when I blog about conferences, I give a quick review or praise for the class, mentioning content in general terms but then sending people to the speaker's website (or the conference website) for the details.

Thanks James! In many cases, nothing ever comes of these images - someone in the crowd would need to see it and complain and/or pursue an action for there to be any legal consequences (and even then, the photo's use would have to exceed the boundaries of a journalistic exception). That said - I prefer to avoid the problems entirely, and suggest that risk-averse people do the same.

Glad to do it, Traci. I've had things lifted myself (ironic, when you consider it was legal content...) and while I realize people often do this innocently, it's important for people to realize it is illegal - and that even though many, if not most, authors don't have the inclination (or, in some cases, resources) to pursue legal remedies, it's still wrong to take what doesn't belong to you.