Posted by Toni McMillen on September 30, 2008 at 12:30 PM
I haven't put anything on the site yet because of the resizing issues (STILL) and now I am baffled by the copyright issue. What exactly do I need to do for this? Are my pics safe without registration? What should I do? Thanks.
Toni
Posted by David Bostedo on September 30, 2008 at 1:02 PM
Toni - Any work you produce is automatically legally copyrighted without you having to do anything. The rights are always yours and no one else is allowed to use it without your permission (unless it's considered "fair use").
There are a couple other things to consider copyright-wise though :
-- Things posted online could always be copied and used without you knowing, so it's a good idea to mark the image in some way that at least makes it more annoying to use the image.
-- Formal copyright registration will give you a lot more rights to damages (money) from someone violating. I've never done it myself, so hopefully someone can fill in, but I think it's fairly cheap and easy if you're really worried.
Posted by Greg Cope on September 30, 2008 at 1:18 PM
You don't necessarily need anything, as David mentioned, when you press the shutter butter you technically hold the copyright. However, you can give yourself more assurance by registering a copyright with the library of congress. Should an image of yours down the line be used without your permission and you wish to take action, having a registered copyright can legally help you. You can register your photos in bulk (say, entitled 'collective work 2008') for a small fee - go to the Copyright Office website for more information. As for whether your photos are ever 'safe', well, if you put them online anyone can download them regardless of the online safety measures you use.
Posted by Toni McMillen on September 30, 2008 at 1:34 PM
Thanks! That takes a load off my mind. Now I will try and get the images to cooperate for getting them online! Working with a few imaging programs to figure out what I like the best and I have the PictureShark program downloaded to mark them with. Thanks again!
Posted by John Mumaw on September 30, 2008 at 2:56 PM
Those copyright symbols I see on many images here strike me as useless and serve only to detract from the image.
A little PS work can quickly eliminate those watermarks for folks inclined to steal online images.
You didn't try IrfanView for resizing, eh?
Posted by Steve Foss on September 30, 2008 at 2:58 PM
The copyright marks can educate the uneducated and remind honest people that the works are protected. As such, I see them having some value. Absolutely no protection against actual thieves.
As long as it's fairly small and unobtrusive, the copyright and names on online images are no more distracting than signing a print.
Posted by David Bostedo on September 30, 2008 at 4:17 PM
I agree with Steve on the marks. And I've even seen cases of simpler or more innocent web mis-use leaving the copyright info on there, which at least allows the actual owner to be known.
Posted by Toni McMillen on September 30, 2008 at 4:29 PM
John, can I ask you what you would suggest? What do you do for yours?
Posted by John Mumaw on September 30, 2008 at 9:42 PM
As you can guess, I don't put a copyright tag or watermark on my images, but these fellows make some good points.
Basically, it's your call. If you decide to use them, try and make them as unobtrusive as possible. You can see several good examples in the Gallery forums.
Posted by Jim DeWitt on October 1, 2008 at 2:06 AM
If you are really worried about copying, watermarking can help. PS includes a digital watermarking tool, I believe.
Discussion
9 repliesToni
There are a couple other things to consider copyright-wise though :
-- Things posted online could always be copied and used without you knowing, so it's a good idea to mark the image in some way that at least makes it more annoying to use the image.
-- Formal copyright registration will give you a lot more rights to damages (money) from someone violating. I've never done it myself, so hopefully someone can fill in, but I think it's fairly cheap and easy if you're really worried.
A little PS work can quickly eliminate those watermarks for folks inclined to steal online images.
You didn't try IrfanView for resizing, eh?
As long as it's fairly small and unobtrusive, the copyright and names on online images are no more distracting than signing a print.
Basically, it's your call. If you decide to use them, try and make them as unobtrusive as possible. You can see several good examples in the Gallery forums.