1. Retouched Photo
1861

2. Josef Stalin with NKVD (Secret police) commander Nikolai Yezhov in 1943.

3. Yezhov was executed in 1940, so he was edited out of photographs with Stalin.

5. Fair Comment:
Reuse of a work (including a photo) to create a new piece of intellectual property is not a violation of copyright.
Libel: If writing (or photography, or alteration of a photograph) damages a person’s reputation and is false and is not fair comment, it can be libel—the victim can sue for damages.
Public figures, however, are very difficult to libel.

12. Unethical use of photography is not a legal standard, though most libels are unethical.
The damage is to the brand or reputation of the newspaper or magazine.

18. Deceptive Purposes?
Alteration of photographs is a common practice when the intention is to deceive.

21. Unethical use of a photograph (in a news or objective context) may not require alteration; juxtaposition can create the same effect.

29. Original

33. Official photo accompanying press release on missile test, Iranian state press website

34. Official photo accompanying press release on missile test, Iranian state press website

35. Bloggers noticed odd consistencies within the photo

36. It was quite easy to argue that the photo had been altered—by altering the photo.

37. Another photo was found
Another photo was found. It had been released by a different part of the Iranian government.
It clearly showed that one of the missiles had not launched.

38. Hilarity ensued.