Copyrighting my photos?

Question

I am starting up a small photography business for my local clients around my hometown. I already have 2 weddings and several senior shoots lined for the next 6 months. I need to know how to go about with all the legal aspects of running a photography business. Like how do I copyright my photos? What contracts do I need to draft up? Are there certain things that I just cannot legally do pertaining to photography? Also, does anyone know where I might see some examples of the contracts that i'll need to draft up? (If any)

Thanks in advance for your help!
-Blake Fabian

Answer 1

Without being unkind, you have a long way to go before you start up your business.



The most basic things (apart from knowing photography) are copyright and contracts.

Without these you are going to potentially get either into a lot of trouble or do yourself out of business.



Copyright - is automatically yours as the photographer. It can be assigned or sold to someone else but this is NOT recommended.



In the UK being the copyright holder gives you the right to copy, distribute, publish, sell etc your work. There are exceptions and one of them is when you are a portrait and wedding photographer.

As such when clients engage you they are entitled to a certain amount of "privacy" and section 85 of the copyright act (in the UK) kicks in.

This basically is the "Private and domestic" commissions provision which means the customer has the right to NOT have copies issued to the public or displayed.



This is where your contract (terms and conditions) comes in and you should include a paragraph with which they sign away this right and give you the right to use the shots for your own display and advertising purposes.



There are a thousand and one things which you need in your contract such as cancellation terms, payment terms, failure on your part through equipment/illness etc etc etc



You need to engage a solicitor to ensure that whatever you eventually put together will stand up in a court.



If you want examples then you can probably find them on the www but amending someone elses is not as good as having your own drawn up from scratch.





p.s. ignore idiots like Roger Lathbury. He obviously knows nothing whatsoever about copyright if he think the client owns copyright just because they pay you.

Answer 2

This is a good question. First, as soon as you create the image, you own the copyright. If you want to register the copyright, you can download the form from the Copyright Office, follow the instructions and send it in with a copy of your images on a compiled CD or DVD (depending upon the number and size of your files) with the filing fee and then you have your bases covered. To prevent people from stealing your work, you can use a program like Photoshop to place a watermark across your images with your copyright notice. If you happen to have a Nikon DSLR, all your images can have the copyright notice placed directly within the EXIF data on each file at the time you take the shot using the "Image Comment" feature on the camera. Just type in "(c) 2008, Your Name, Your phone number and it will appear on all the images you shoot from then on.

Answer 3

If someone hires you to take photos, he or she owns the copyrights.



Otherwise add © Blake Fabian in the lower corner of each photo. You can register each photo ($30 or $45 a shot) if you want to. Go on the Library of Congress website and get the form. However, it isn't worth it. Just add the notice. chances are pretty rare that anyone will steal your work, unless it's a very salable shot. No one has the right to steal your work.



If you make it easy for them by posting images on line, though, the chances of stealing increase. If you want to sue, you have to show the extent to which you were done financial harm. This is difficult.

Answer 4

i am confused