How do I enforce copyright of my images

• Cookster

  Participant

  October 13, 2009 at 11:05 pm

  Hi guys,

  just wondering how photographers go about copyrighting their images? Is there a process or is it just a case of keeping an eye out for your images? I know that musicians are avised to post a registered letter with lyrics and a tape of their original work and to keep it unopened until the need arises to prove ownership, do photographers do this also?

  From other discussions it is generally taken that in most cases the photographer retains ownership of the image. How do you prove you are the photographer?

  thanks

  Sean
  miki g

  Participant

  October 13, 2009 at 11:29 pm

  Hi Cookster. I’m not sure how people would normally do this, but this would be my approach to it if I was worried about it, and there’s probably some way around it.
  (a) Open the origional file and right click. Go to properties
  (b) Under the details tab, go to copyright and click on it
  (c) type in your name
  (d) click apply and exit

  Return to properties and under general tab press read only. You will need to change it from read only to make copies as far as I’m aware.
  I think this will secure your details and prevent any alterations to the image.
  This should record in the exif data and in any copies made afterwards under previous versions.
  davekeogh

  Participant

  October 13, 2009 at 11:37 pm

  You can embed a digital watermark in there… Some watermarking software make it invisible to the naked eye, but can be picked up by certain software. Just like sky digital, the picture actually has the decryption card info embedded in there. So even if you tape it somehow, they’ll know if they get a copy!.

  Digimarc product one such software for images https://www.digimarc.com/solutions/images.asp. You can actually track where your images have gone too via two different search methods.
  francesco

  Participant

  October 14, 2009 at 8:41 am

  You can embed copyright information either by setting it via camera options (Nikon cameras have this function, I’m pretty sure other brands have it as well), or by accessing EXIF information via Photoshop or other software. A watermark over the picture could help, though most editors and/or picutres buyers hate them.
  TinEye.com allows you to track your images online and see if they’re being used by someone who presumably hasn’t asked for permission.
  Truth is, especially for websites, it’s almost impossible to prevent people from stealing your images and using them on their websites, and not a day goes by without some photographer having to contact some magazine or newspaper because of them using his/her images without permission.
  If you Google “copyright” and “photography” you’ll find thousands of links on the topic.
  Cookster

  Participant

  October 18, 2009 at 10:52 pm

  Thanks for the tips. From my own perspective it’s knowing that when they get copied you have a legitimate proof that you are the owner of the image (if I’m lucky enough to have my images copied!!)

  C