Protecting My Images

[nathan_rigg]

<p>Hi<br>

Could someone please advise on the best way to protect my images?<br>

What information should I embed in the file?<br>

Also, how do i write my name/company or website accross the image?<br>

Thanks<br>

Nathan</p>

[scott_thompson17]

<p>Do you use LR or LR2?<br>

If so you can get all that done with the feature there.</p>

[William Kahn]

<p>Are you using Photoshop, or something else?</p>

[Ian Taylor]

<p>Are you professional? What type of images are you trying to "protect"?</p>

[nathan_rigg]

<p>I am using photoshop elements.<br>

I am not a professional, however I am selling some of my work. Currently I am providing JPEG images on disc for review by the buyer.</p>

[William Kahn]

<p>In PS Elements, go to File>File Info. You can fill in all the info there (called IPTC Data, also metadata) regarding copyright date, photographer's name, etc. You can also go to the Filter drop-down menu and see if there's a Digimarc plug-in, and add the copyright year to the image there, as long as it's an 8-bit file. Digimarc and others also have subscriptions available which provide more advanced levels of protection, but subscribing can be costly.</p>

<p>You should be aware there none of this is a guarantee that your work won't get stolen. If you post images on the internet, many websites strip metadata from images, making theft a lot easier. A Digimarc subscription may be immune to this, but I don't know for sure. The site I use (Yessy On Line Gallery) is a bit more protective. You can't download or link anything but the thumbnails (which are useless if enlarged) unless you have editing privileges. But, you should always make a good faith effort to protect yourself by adding the IPTC data to any image that goes out to the public. It gives you a stronger case in any legal process you might have to go through to recover your rights - especially after you become rich and famous (and good luck with that!)</p>

[vincedistefano]

<p>Watermarking + IPTC metadata + don't give anything at a truly printable size until somebody writes you the check.</p>

[alan_myers]

<p>There's a free software called FastStone Resizer that can resize your images and add a watermark to them, all at the same time and as a batch. Google for FastStone, you'll find it.</p>

<p>Also, register your copyright. Depending upon where you are, this might vary a bit. But, basically it means compiling a your images onto a CD or DVD then sending that to the copyright office along with payment of a small fee, to permanently register them.</p>

<p>I also think it's a good idea to mark actual prints with a copyright notice of some sort. This can be on the back or in the margin.</p>

<p>I 'sign' images digitally, too. This is with both actual prints and digital files that will end up as prints ultimately. It's not a watermark but just a signature with my name, done discretely in the corner of the image... much as an artist signs a painting. It won't prevent someone from making copies at home. But, it might keep them from taking a print to a commercial printer and having them scan it and do anything with it.</p>

<p>Despite all your efforts, if your stuff is on the Internet, sooner or later it will get stolen. There a smaller size file is the best protection, so it won't print or enlarge very well. Also, I have reluctantly begun adding a watermark, but usually not right across the center of the image in an ugly way. It's an advertisement for me, so that at least when those smaller files get stolen and passed around or displayed on YouTube or a person's website, they promote me and my work. Needs to include my URL or at least my email address, to do that.</p>

<p>Yes, I agree, be sure the data in the EXIF of all your images includes copyright info. You can batch process a large number of images at the same time.</p>

<p>And, be sure to not 'Save for Web' in many programs (Photoshop for sure, probably Elements too I'm guessing).... This strips off the EXIF data to save a miniscule amount of band width.</p>

<p>Not that someone infringing on your copyright can't strip off this data, or crop off or retouch a watermark, etc. There's no way to stop it being stolen on the web, either, no matter what people might tell you about 'disabled right clicks' or 'flash galleries' etc. If they can see it displayed on their monitor, the file has already been transferred to their computer and there are ways to retreive and keep it.</p>

<p>Registration of copyright is important, in the event you ever have to pursue an infringment. If that was done in a timely manner you have much stronger ability to pursue and recover payments from them, in much greater amounts. Plus, if they have removed your copyright protections from the image somehow, that can lead to an 'enhanced penalty' that can amount to an extra $30,000 in the U.S. (last time I looked at the laws).</p>