Copyright Question for my Photos

You have to go to the Feds for copy right protection, don't remember the agency; but the resolution on this site is so low, what could anyone do with a picture? Maybe I should give that some thought, maybe they know how to enhance the resolution among other things?

I too am not entirely sure on the legalities of how to copywrite your images. I do know if you apply a partially transparent copywrite through the middle of your photo (make sure it's a copy of your photo, not the original), no one will be able to do anything with it... but putting a copywrite at the bottom won't really stop theft as it's easy to get rid of a copywrite that's at the bottom, side, or top of a photo.

Here's an example. You can still see the photo ok, but the slightly transparent name across the middle makes it really really hard for anyone to do anything with it.



Essentially I don't worry about it for Gather. The way your photo is uploaded the most anyone could do with it is put it on the net as their own, e-mail it etc. They aren't going to be able to get a print worth having out of it.

Let me add that watermarking like that isn't going to stop theft either... but the "thief" isn't going to be able to DO anything with your photo watermarked like this.

here is the short version......you create it, you own it...copyright is automatic to you upon creation as is with all "visual art".....copyright infringement is a Federal case and unless you REGISTER your work before the infringement, you are S.O.L...you can sue in other courts as a "theft of service",but it will cost you more than you could ever expect to collect if not "registered"....

easy to register and since this July, you can even do it online now....believe the fee dropped to $35 (unlimited amount of photos for the one fee!)

go to > www.copyright.gov (the day they receive it is the date the registration starts)

along with the form, you need to make a "deposit" of the images you are registering...jpegs 600x800 pixels at low resolution of 72ppi on a CD (make copy for yourself,too)......you can probably get well over 4,000 files on one CD

all of the info is at the CR site url above

hope this helps.....am planning on writing an article soon since many here at Gather seem to need the info.....oh yeah, best to include the copyright Bobbi K. 2007 (or whatever year you shot image) on all of your images,but most sites recognize it without that as long as it is your work.....i am lax about doing it on sites like this cause am used to dedicated photo site that does it for me.....;>

cheers,gayle

Melanie, Tom and Gayle, thanks so much for the helpful responses. I'll check it out. Now I need to make a post about writings. I'd assume it would work the same with a federal copywrite.

hi, the info i gave pertains to VISUAL ARTS copyright only.....you can Google "copyright and writing" to get that info.......cheers,gayle

*it is copyRIGHT, not copyWRITE ;>

You're right in your assumption Bobbi K.. The copyright rules work the same with writing as with photographs. If you wrote it, then it's yours. (Note that in writing you can't copyright ideas, only the exact order of strings of words.)

Thanks Gayle and Mrs Meacham.

I know it's copyright. My brain gets a bit fogged when I'm on the computer too long. You have no idea how many typos I fix and still never get them all. I'm a terrible typer and actually a good speller. You'd never guess it by my typing though.

See what I mean? Sorry MS Meacham. Time for bed.

Everything you wanted to know is here:
http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ1.html

Wonderful info all, thank you. You are correct about copyrighting of writing. Its is yours, but best to mark it as well. Some say to mail yourself a copy of the really important stuff in case you ever have to prove the date. I am embarrassed to say I sent away for the copyright rules and regs 20 years ago and never read them all. I will now. Thanks for the link.

That is a great question. I am glad you were able to get some answers. I have been curious myself.

Well, all photos you take are automatically copyrighted to you. Though most are not familiar (or do not care) about copyright protection policies.

Putting you name on it would show others it's yours, but they still can and might steal the photo. They have even stolen photos with a copyright right on the photo... or if they are more clever they will remove the copyright.

The sad fact is the only way to keep the photos 100% safe and yours is to NOT post them on the internet.

i come to copyright from the visual arts. so it's simply my practice to put a copyright on most anything i do. i know it could be taken off - but it is the intent i am concerned with.

i want people to know that i am concerned with theft or unasked for - unauthorised use. i dont worry so much about someone showing the photo elsewhere to a friend or if a friend uses something as a desktop - i hope they will let me know and ask - but i know that does not alway happen.

by establishing the practice as my routine in general i think people will respect it and if an issue comes up, i have established my intent with reasonable clarity. the few who abuse my preferences have to do so intentionally (by that i mean they deliberately remove the copyright so they can use the photo as their own to their benefit). it's probably not worth going after someone who has done this unless for some reason they are making a lot of money off of something i've done. in both cases - my intent and their intent is reasonably clear when i establish that i put a copyright on my work as a part of my established practice and they take it off. beyond that i dont worry too much about it.

i do post at a reasonably high resolution and some one could make use of some thing i do in some cases - but it becomes a case of do i show my work based on what someone might do or do i show my work the way i would like my work to be seen.

it is a complex issue. artists (and writers as i now understand it) are in a category of their own with copyrighting - because they can do so many works it is unreasonable to go through long processes to copyright something the way an inventor might on a single device.

so even here on Gather i put my copyright on my work - not because i am worried about Gather so much or people on Gather - but because i want that procedure as part of my routine process. most of the time people will ask if they can use something and i often give permission depending on what it is intended for. of course i dont always know when someone takes something and uses it without permission - but if it does catch up to them... it becomes obvious what they have done.

I put the copyright on mine because it makes me feel better and it makes a statement that this is mine, I created this.

hope that made sense.
I'm still investigating what else i need to do.

Excellent discussion and food for thought--thanks to Bobbi and all who posted

Thanks again all. Spartan, glad you added the bit about license. That's good to know.

Bobbi you have asked a great question and the responses are very interesting :)