BetterPhoto Q&A
Category: How Do I Get that Photographic Technique?

Photography Question 

Dean Boyer
 

Copyright


How do you obtain a Copyright for your work?


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October 01, 2003

 

Tony Sweet
  Dean,

When you press the shutter, the work is copyrighted. You can also submit a "body of work" to the federal copyright office, but you need to get a form for that. You can have as many images on each form as you like.

The difference between the two is:
1. You can collect "fair market value" monies for illegal use of your image by only clicking the shutter and to be able to proof that you took the picture.
2. By copyrighting, you are able to sue for punitive damages in addition to the "FMV" of the image use.

Hope this helps!


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October 01, 2003

 

Wing Wong
  Should also be noted that by registering for an actual federal copyright, your claims in court will be easier to make and prove.


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February 08, 2004

 

Kimberley Matheson
  Just be careful when it comes to copyright issues if you've been hired to take photographs. I'm in the middle of learning this issue the hard way and possibly do not own copyright to photos I was hired to take 3 years ago. See the latest questions posted in this category that I posted today. Best advice I can offer is contract, contract, contract! I was told this advice early on, but not early enough.

Kim


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March 30, 2004

 
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