copyright protection for photos on website

[movingex]

I checked threads on copyrigh here but could not find a clear answer to my question. The

question is if it's possible to get all photos on my website registered with copyright

protection. The types of photos will vary and will constantly change.

The other question is can I just make the statement on my website that all photos are

copyright protected? If so will this statement have any legal weight?

I went to the official copyright website and I could not find a clear answer there either.

http://www.copyright.gov/

 

Any knowledgeable input appreciated.

 

Thanks!

[ellis_vener_photography]

You should put a statement on website and register the images before you post them on

your website. Chapter 13 or 14 of "Real World Digital Photography, 2nd edition" covers

this

and offers various tips to at least partially protect your images including

rollovers, watermarking, sizing and resolution.

No way is foolproof. A determined person can pick any lock. The idea is to make it

difficult.

[movingex]

Thanks Ellis for the info.

 

I could not figure out how to register images that on a website either.

[movingex]

Thanks Ellis for the info.

 

I could not figure out how to register images that on a website either.

[www.whitemountainphoto.com]

Jake, as Ellis mentions, it's wise to register them BEFORE you sell them or put them on the web. True, on the web, if someone wants them they'll find a way to get them. The advantage to registering with the copyright office is that if you take legal action, you actually have a foot to stand on. If you look at the copyright office, there is a form you can download. It cost me $30 I think last time, but you can register as many as you like at a time for the one fee. I usually just run pages of thumbnails of the most recent ones I want to register. I do this every so often, when I've saved up a big enough batch to bother. Hope this helps.

 

Dana/ <a href="http://www.whitemountainphoto.com">www.whitemountainphoto.com</a>

[rubens_abboud]

Jake,

<p>As soon as you click the shutter, your image is copyrighted. You do not need to do anything else.</p>

<p>However, if you wish to bring about a lawsuit for copyright infringement, you will have to register your copyright. </p>

<p>If you register your copyright *BEFORE* or within 3 months of the infringing publication, you can seek attorney's fees and statutory damages and therein lies the incentive to register your copyright. These two amounts can far exceed the amounts that can be awarded to you if you do not register your copyright...</p>

<p>If you do not register your copyright, you can only be awarded actual damages and profit.</p>

<p>I have heard that certain copyright lawyers will not even take on a case where the copyright is not registered before or within 3 months simply because the potential reward will pale compared to the unrecoverable costs of litigation.</p>

<p>You can get more info <a href="http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ1.html#cr">here</a>.</p>

<p>I group register my images before any of them appear on my site as part of my workflow. Image piracy is rampant (I've had corporations swipe images from my online photo.net gallery) and I'd rather have most of the odds on my side if I decide to take action. </p>

<p>Hope this helps.</p>

<p>Best regards,</p>

<p>Rubens.<br>

<a href="http://www.TheImageNation.com">http://www.TheImageNation.com</a><br>

Travel stock photography</p>

<p>  </p>

[qtluong]

Rubbens has given you good information, but I have to add a couple of precisions: (a) the period of grace of 90 days to get the full benefits of registration starts from the publication date, not the infringement date. (b) if your images are not registered, in practice,

due to lawyer costs, you won't be able to do *anything* through the legal system in case of infringement © even if you register images,

it's not sure you will able to afford litigating an infringement case.

(d) See the <a href = "http://www.editorialphotographers.com">EP</a> for a tutorial on registration.

<a href = "http://www.terragalleria.com">Terra Galleria Stock Photography</a>

[darren]

It's worth noting that the above advice seems to be applicable to the US. Many other countries have similar laws and processes, but many don't either.

[movingex]

I love this place. Thanks so much all for the great information.