Copyrighting disk images

[brooke_renee]

<p>Hi Everyone,<br>

I am sure there is a simple anwser to this question: How do you protect and copyright a disk of images you give to a client so they cannot reproduce or copy more disks for themselves/others?<br>

Thanks!</p>

<p> </p>

[William Kahn]

<p>I use Lightscribe CDs/DVDs, and burn a copyright notice on each one I make. Also, each image on the disk has IPTC data (aka File Info in Photoshop) which includes a copyright notice. None of this means they can't or won't make copies, just that they're legal liable if they do, you find out, and go after 'em...</p>

[daverhaas]

<p>You're really asking the wrong question Brooke. Copyright exists the moment you create the photo. You register it via the U.S. or other Gov't. </p>

<p>Copy protection is what you put on a CD or DVD to prevent a client or end user from making an unauthorized copy. Nero, Copy Cop, etc... are available to add that to a disk. </p>

<p>The question I have - If you are selling a CD of photos - Is it really worth it to protect it? Do you really want to get called at 5:00 am someday from the customer and have them say "I can't read the disk! Send another!"? </p>

<p>Personally I don't want those calls so nothing I send out is copy protected. It is all copyright material though - so if someone sells it - I could go after them. </p>

<p>Dave</p>

 

[Charles_Webster]

<p>As William says, you can't prevent someone from copying a disk or file. But when you give them the disk or file, make sure you give them a license agreement that specifies exactly what they can and cannot do with the disk or file. Having them sign as acknowledgement creates a contract, which is much easier to enforce than a breach of copyright claim if you catch them making copies.</p>

<p>You can find copies of good license agreements in John Harrington's book "Best Business Practices for Photographers," the ASMP publication "Business Practices for Professional Photography," and in Tad Crawford's book "Business and Legal Forms for Photographers"</p>

<p>I do not <strong>ever</strong> give pictures to <strong>anyone</strong> without an accompanying license agreement.</p>

<p><Chas></p>

 

[dan_south]

<p>I would like to understand the situation more clearly. The client paid the OP to produce photographs. Now the OP is turning over the work to the client in electronic form.</p>

<p>The OP wants to prevent the client from making copies. Why? Is the OP concerned that the client will resell the images? Or submit them to publishers as their own work? If the client is a business, do they not have the right to use the images that they have paid for in their brochures and on their website? If not, why would they even bother purchasing your services?</p>

<p>Today, most people upload photos to Facebook the minute you give them the disk. There's not really any way to prevent people from copying photos on a disk. As far as I understand it, legal action is possible only if they resell your photos to make money (other than advertising their products, which is what the photos were meant to do in the first place). If you try to take legal action against them for giving a copy to their friends and relatives, that's probably not going to be worth the effort or the expense.</p>

<p>Make sure that each image contains a clear copyright notice (but not through the center - SO tacky!). Unless you have agreed to give them a high-resolution file, shrink the file down to a modest (but still useful) size so they can't use the image for purposes other than what's been agreed upon in advance. Don't restrict your customers beyond what's reasonable. You don't want them to tell other potential customers that you're pedantic and disagreeable.</p>