I recently sold several of my photographs to the Wall Street Journal to appear on their website credited to me. Later I found out that two Jewish newspapers had copied my pictures from the website and published the pictures in their newspapers without reshus and without crediting me and without paying me. After I contacted them they refuse to pay me. What should I do?
Answer:
Once the pictures have entered the World Wide Web, halochoh cannot afford you protection from others using the photos you sold. Whether or not the prevailing law will offer you protection or certain rights or royalties is a question that needs to be addressed by a secular jurist.
Can I then take them to secular court or do I have to just take it as a loss?
I’m afraid you have to take it as a loss. If according to the Halachah you have no claim, you may not use the secular Courts to demand payment.
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