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Necessary to put full name on photo for credit/copyright to be valid? Initial a word ok?


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You secure your copyright when you create the image and then if you want to register them with the federal copyright office. Watermarking your images is just telling everyone viewing them who created/owns the rights to the image. I do it for of the images I give to models, designers, bands, actors etc for all trade shoots that I do and most images I post on my own sites. At first I did it to "protect" my images but now that I have been doing this longer, I see the real value is getting your name out there and having your work and name being recognized simultaneously.
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Anthony,

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Rachel is correct - a work is copyrighted the moment you create it (this is US copyright we're talking about here, other countries' laws may vary). She is also correct that you can then register your copyright with the US Copyright Office if you wish - it does confer additional protections.

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Refer to the source:

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<a href="http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ1.html#fnv">http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ1.html#fnv</a>

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NOTE TO SKY SPIRITS: The following is a quote from a US government website, and as such is PUBLIC DOMAIN. There is no risk to you by allowing me to quote it.

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*** QUOTE ***

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<blockquote>

Form of Notice for Visually Perceptible Copies

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The notice for visually perceptible copies should contain all the following three elements:

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1. The symbol © (the letter C in a circle), or the word "Copyright," or the abbreviation "Copr."; and

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2. The year of first publication of the work. In the case of compilations or derivative works incorporating previously published material, the year date of first publication of the compilation or derivative work is sufficient. The year date may be omitted where a pictorial, graphic, or sculptural work, with accompanying textual matter, if any, is reproduced in or on greeting cards, postcards, stationery, jewelry, dolls, toys, or any useful article; and

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3. The name of the owner of copyright in the work, or an abbreviation by which the name can be recognized, or a generally known alternative designation of the owner.

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Example: © 2006 John Doe

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The "C in a circle" notice is used only on "visually perceptible copies." Certain kinds of works?for example, musical, dramatic, and literary works?may be fixed not in "copies" but by means of sound in an audio recording. Since audio recordings such as audio tapes and phonograph disks are "phonorecords" and not "copies," the "C in a circle" notice is not used to indicate protection of the underlying musical, dramatic, or literary work that is recorded.

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*** END QUOTE ***

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You can register many photos at one time for one single fee if you wish to do so - there is no need to pay a large fee for every photograph you register. In addition, soon you will be able to register your copyright online:

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<a href="http://www.copyright.gov/eco/index.html">http://www.copyright.gov/eco/index.html</a>

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A 'watermark' is nothing more than a semi-transparent block of text that obscures the photograph in a material way - usually making it useless for copying purposes if a person planned to take it an use it as their own. It generally ruins the photograph for online viewing purposes, though. Here is an example:

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<a href="http://members.aol.com/Roseb44170/waterm.jpg">http://members.aol.com/Roseb44170/waterm.jpg</a>

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Here is information about how to watermark your photos:

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<a href="http://cameras.about.com/od/printing/ss/watermark.htm">http://cameras.about.com/od/printing/ss/watermark.htm</a>

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