Copyright Laws Explained

[Aaron Wilson]

If you mark your photo's or pictures you make in photo shop is it protected or do you have to register it? So if i put my name and thew copy write symbol and sell it to a company for adver... can they alter it? or is it protected with my name and they need to ask to use it in other adds? What is the best way to protect your work?:dunno

[GREAPER]

Any photo taken by you is automatically copyrighted. You own the copyright to it. It is copyrighted the instant you click the shutter.

No one can use the image without your permission. If they do it is actionable. You dont even have to mark the image. If the copyright is not registered all you can sue for is actual damages. For example: If they make a print, all you can sue for is the value of the print and you have to be able to prove the value.

If it is registered you can sue for a lot more, negligence, punative damages etc.

I hope this helps.

[John Mueller]

Here (http://www.templetons.com/brad/copymyths.html) is a read for you. 10 Big Myths about copyright explained.

[GREAPER]

Pretty good stuff, and it's what I said :D

[wxwax]

Pretty good stuff, and it's what I said :D
Yeah, but in more words. :lol3

[Andy]

i'll add some links here

dan heller's page - chock full of good stuff (http://www.danheller.com/model-release.html)

the us copyright office (http://www.copyright.gov/)

[luckyrwe]

I like the fact that now you can take a CD of thousands of images and send it in with one fee. It used to be in the past that I'd send in a contact sheet with the fee for each sheet. That gets expensive. Fill up a CD, send it in, and save a fortune on the registration.