I posted this photo of Plácido Domingo, amongst others, on this blog about 6 weeks ago. It was taken within the Royal Opera House, from the front row of the Stalls. I took it at the curtain call at the end of the final performance of Simon Boccanegra.
The programme etc - though not the tickets - and public announcements say that photography is 'strictly forbidden'. Custom and practice, and unsolicited advice from door staff, is that it is strictly forbidden until the curtain calls. As this photo includes a costume designed and made by an ROH staff member or contractor, this photo falls within copyright law.
However, I published this and other photos at the time in good faith under the 'fair use' exemptions to copyright law. At the time I was criticising - in an almost entirely positive way, as it happens - the several performances of Simon Boccanegra which I attended this summer - I am republishing as part of my commentary on what I see as harassment of my sister-in-blogging, Intermezzo
Furthermore, I have been publishing similar photos on this blog and its predecessor "Mad Musings of Me" since 2004, taken in the Royal Opera House, Hammersmith Apollo, the Barbican, Royal Festival Hall, Royal Albert Hall, English National Opera (although they state on their tickets it is forbidden and I was specifically asked by a steward to stop), The Point Dublin, Teatro Real Madrid, Liceu Barcelona, Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia Valencia and Le Chatelet Paris. Many are collected in my photo album Performance (which needs updating).
I am publishing this blogpost in solidarity with Intermezzo and call on other bloggers to do likewise.
