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X-Ray copyright

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
in Home, Law & Money
If I have an x-ray taken of my leg, who owns the copyright. Does the radiographer, as they took the photo? Is it the surgeon, who employs the radiographer? Is it me the patient?

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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Probably the hospital/NHS.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    In this case, the surgeon is not emplyed by nhs or hospital, she's self-employed and basically rents a few rooms from a private hospital.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Then i'd say the surgeon does, you're probably better asking them, x-rays might not even come under copyright laws.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    If you live in the UK, I don't think x-rays are protected by copyright. Here's from wikipedia for the UK copyright law:

    "The types of work eligible for protection are literary, dramatic, artistic or musical works, the typographical arrangement of a published edition, a sound recording, a film or a broadcast."

    So, no.

    Do you live in the UK?
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Yeah. I doubt it classes as a piece of art. In any event, it's highly unlikely that you would own the copyright. If one existed, it would likely rest with the person who took it, or whoever they were working for at the time.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    ok, thanks. That's actually the answer I wanted. The thing I am/would then be worried about is patient confidentiality, as the hypothetical x-ray would be part of my patient records and presumably covered by medical confidentiality laws?
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    katralla wrote: »
    ok, thanks. That's actually the answer I wanted. The thing I am/would then be worried about is patient confidentiality, as the hypothetical x-ray would be part of my patient records and presumably covered by medical confidentiality laws?


    1. There is no such thing as copyright for X-Ray of a patient.

    2. It's a medical record and therefore covered by confidentiality rules, automatically.

    3. Any reproduction, apart for medical training/clinical audit purposes, must have your permission.

    4. Whoever paid for the X-Ray effectively "owns" it. So if this is funded by NHS then it's theirs, if you pay for it yourself privately then in effect I believe that it belongs to you.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    thank you
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