Could Your Instagram 'Food Porn' Posts Actually Be Illegal?

Copyright laws in Germany state that pictures of artfully-arranged food belong to the chef, not the photographer.


According to German newspaper Die Welt, photos of food taken in restaurants can be illegal, as the copyright lies with the chef. The newspaper said: "In individual cases, shared pictures may be illegal. At worst, a copyright warning notice might come fluttering to the social media user. For carefully-arranged food in a famous restaurant, the cook is regarded as the creator of a work. Before it can be made public on Facebook & Co., permission must first be asked of the master chef.


"This isn't a new phenomenon; chefs have been understandably upset about people taking pictures of their food in restaurants for ages, with some even banning the practice. Whether this is because it ruins the ambience, causes food to go cold while a filter is chosen or causes the chef to lose credit for their food, it has angered restauranteurs far and wide.


However, some places have taken advantage of the platform, realising that if a food photo goes 'viral', and the venue is tagged, it could cause customers to want to visit the restaurant.


Regardless, you can now tell people who rudely use their phone at the table to take photos for social media that if they were in Germany, they would be in big trouble.