Over the weekend, I had the joy of spending my afternoon at Abli, a cozy creative and coffee space on A. Climaco St. in Capitol Site, Cebu City. One of my good high school friends, now based in Canada, came home to share an artist talk alongside five equally talented photographers from the metro.
The theme for the gathering was “Photographs as entry points into memory, meaning, and curiosity,” which set the tone for an afternoon that was both reflective and inspiring. True enough, every image presented was not just a picture per se; it was a doorway into memory, a vessel of emotion, and a spark for fresh ways of imagining.
The talks unfolded like good friends meeting over coffee and drinks, easy and soothing to the senses. The artists, namely Jericho Juab, Ezra Weigel, Zarah Majam, Jeric Ebron, John Delante, and Kim Canoy, opened the window into their creative process. My friend, John, reflected on the balance between personal and collective memory, inviting us to think of photographs not just as records, but as prompts for audiences to weave their own stories, especially in the themes of curiosity, nostalgia, and imagination.
The open forum that followed was as lively as the talks themselves. The audience’s questions and insights deepened the afternoon’s reflections, making it clear that photographs truly connect the intimate with the collective and the ordinary with the extraordinary.
In the discussion of photographs, these are protected under Republic Act 8293, the Intellectual Property Code, which is the primary law governing copyright in the Philippines. Section 172 thereof expressly protects photographic works, thus stating that “Original intellectual creations in the literary and artistic domain are protected from the moment of their creation.”
This means that a photographer does not need to register his or her work with any government body to secure copyright. The moment the shutter clicks and the image is captured, the copyright subsists automatically. Not to mention, there are exclusive rights bestowed upon the photographer, including the right to reproduce the work, make derivative works, and display the work publicly, like what my friend’s fellow artists did.
These rights are crucial for the artist’s ability to commercialize their art and prevent any unauthorized use.
If I may provide an example, if, for instance, the image presented by one of the artists at the talk were to be utilized by a third party for an advertisement without permission, this act primarily constitutes copyright infringement, regardless of whether the photograph was registered with the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (Ipophil).
The ownership of these rights generally vests in the photographer, who is considered the author of the work. However, there are exceptions, particularly in a “work-for-hire” scenario. If a photographer is commissioned to take pictures for a specific purpose, the contract or the stipulation in the agreement between the parties dictates who owns the copyright.
As the session drew to a close, I felt grateful for my high school friends for a little reunion during the event, where we were lucky to have met artists who generously shared their works.
Likewise, a big thanks to the audience who engaged so thoughtfully and for the reminder that images are not just snapshots. They are doors that open or abli to a memory with meaning and curiosity through photographs, which will always remain immemorial.
Big congratulations to my friend and to his group of friends for the beauty that is Abli.