Possible copyright infringement job

[#1]

A client is asking me to vectorize some photos downloaded from the internet, so they can use it avoiding legal issues. Is it legal? Am I legally responsible if it's an infringement? 

[#2]

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Catalina F wrote:

A client is asking me to vectorize some photos downloaded from the internet, so they can use it avoiding legal issues. Is it legal? Am I legally responsible if it's an infringement? 

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I have to say that as a professional in your field, you should be well aware of what is legal or not. If you don't have that knowledge, it's probably best to stay away from jobs that you are unsure about.

[#3]

Does the US copyrith law apply to all the work comitted by Upwork? Or does it depend on each country regulations? 

[#4 · Accepted solution]

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Catalina F wrote:

Does the US copyrith law apply to all the work comitted by Upwork? Or does it depend on each country regulations? 

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If your client is suggesting that copyright laws don't apply in their country, I'd be pretty wary of this. Even when you purchase photos from stock websites, you're only purchasing the usage rights - there are rules about how you can use them and whether or not you're allowed to create vectors (most don't allow this).

There are situations in which you can do things like make a photo collage or alter an image so significantly that it would be considered new artwork, but you haven't provided any details about your specific situation, so it's difficult to advise you. If you want to learn more, Google is your friend. 

[#5]

Thank you

[#6]

There are some extenuating circumstances, but the short answer is, no, it's not legal.