Copywrite

[gsgary]

Hi All
It may sound daft but how do you copywrite a photograph, in the future when i get the hang of photograph i would like to enter a competition just for fun you never know i may get lucky:haha
Regards
Gary

[Sheila Smart]

You physically don't have to "copyright" photographs. As soon as you take the image, you own the copyright, no question. In the US, you can register your images with the authorities but even if you don't you still own the copyright. If you enter competitions, always check with the folk running the competition the conditions of entering your photographs. Never sell your copyright of any image - unless its for megabucks:D

Cheers
Sheila

[Angelo]

That's right Gary; Essentially you have automatic copyright over any and all intellectual property created by yourself. Certainly once you've published a work of any type you have an imposed copyright.

Copyright laws exist to protect you from theft of your intellectual property... eg: you type a novel and mail it to a publisher without having taken any steps to protect it... the manuscript is lost or stolen and the thief lays claim to it as their own.

Fortunately, with photographs ownership is usually easy to prove through original files, negatives, prints, watermarks etc. Just be certain to never sign away those rights in a contest application.

For the final word on all things legal visit:

http://www.copyright.gov/

[gsgary]

Thanks for the replies

Gary