High-quality celeb shots on the internet

[feppe]

I'm quite surprised to find high-resolution professional shots of A-list celebrities on the internet on various sites. It is obvious that many of these photos are not scans from magazines, but high-quality (4+ megapixels) photos resampled from original digital files. Some are even full-resolution post-processed shots. There are a lot of pro paparazzi shots but also studio shots - and entire shoots - from glossy magazines.

Is this a shift towards more lenient publication of copyrighted photographs, or are these photos put on the net by unscrupulous people close to the photographers/publishers, a sly marketing stunt by agents, publishers or photographers, or something else? I find it hard to believe that the photographers themselves would release such high-quality shots, although I don't know about the business itself to base that on anything. It is doubly weird considering the number of pro and even amateur landscape photographers who go to extreme lengths to protect their work, and not to release high-resolution digital copies of their work.

For your edification (ridiculously pretty ladies, SFW, please edit out if not allowed):
http://www.hotcelebshome.com/jessica-biel-...photoshoot-uhq/
http://www.hotcelebshome.com/salma-hayek-u...n-photoshoot-2/
http://www.hotcelebshome.com/beyonce-the-6...n-globe-awards/

[Petrjay]

Responsible publications are no more apt to violate copyright law than they ever were. Blogs and other assorted junk sites don't have to answer to legal departments, and can get away with a lot of shady stuff. Those pictures could be stolen or perfectly legit - who knows? Publicists are always happy to get their clients' pictures published any way they can, so long as the photos don't depict carnal knowledge of a goat. Hey, wait a minute! Isn't that how Paris Hilton got her "start?"