Safety pilot in and out of IMC

Paul Tomblin wrote:


There's no need to tell the other pilot to be "PIC", just ask him
to take the controls. There's a difference betweeen operating the
controls and serving as pilot in command.


I don't want him to take the controls. I thought that the non-instrument
rated safety pilot in VMC is acting PIC (and both of us can log PIC since
he's acting and I'm sole manipulator), but obviously he can't be acting
PIC when in IMC.

It is up to you two to decide WHO is the pilot in command. He can't
be PIC on an instrument plan (regardless of whether it is VMC or IMC).