Copyright question
- Thread starter YanAidFab
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In the UK, copyright is automatic (unless signed away or a couple of other reasons which I can't remember). If you don't want your pictures to be used by others, keep them off the web and don't let prints out of your sight.
D
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Hi Lez, I ve been checking gov.uk and copyright.gov sites but it doesn't make sense, do they really expect me to pay $38 each time I want to register a copyright, I take hundreds of photos
thx
D
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Not at all if you take a photograph, then copyright is yours ( fact)
Legal. Copyright law protects the creators of original work. If you create something original – from a song or photo to an article or design – copyright prevents others from copying, republishing it or distributing it without your permission. Most small businesses encounter copyright law when they want to use something that was originally created by someone else.
Les
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Hi @YanAidFab and welcome to TP
Your mention of $ price(?) suggests you are looking at s US site of some description?
TP is a UK based and mostly UK members.......perhaps tell us where in the world you are and that might aid more informed replies.
As stated above and AFAIK, in the UK copyright is automatically assigned to you when you press the shutter.....though there are a few explicit exceptions @DemiLion has the lowdown on this in the UK.
But in the USA as I think I recall reading you are best to register your copyright with the government and you pay a fee, though I think I read that you can register many hundreds or thousands of images with a single payment!
Does that help???
Your mention of $ price(?) suggests you are looking at s US site of some description?
TP is a UK based and mostly UK members.......perhaps tell us where in the world you are and that might aid more informed replies.
As stated above and AFAIK, in the UK copyright is automatically assigned to you when you press the shutter.....though there are a few explicit exceptions @DemiLion has the lowdown on this in the UK.
But in the USA as I think I recall reading you are best to register your copyright with the government and you pay a fee, though I think I read that you can register many hundreds or thousands of images with a single payment!
Does that help???
Not at all if you take a photograph, then copyright is yours ( fact)
Legal. Copyright law protects the creators of original work. If you create something original – from a song or photo to an article or design – copyright prevents others from copying, republishing it or distributing it without your permission. Most small businesses encounter copyright law when they want to use something that was originally created by someone else.
Les
You earn the copyright as soon as you do it, however, you need to be able to prove that your have ownership if there is a dispute, this is why people register copyright
jakeblu
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You don't need to register your copyright to prove you took the image.
sk66
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In the US there is a system for registering photographs with the government, and registration is mandatory before a complaint can be filed; up to 750 unpublished photos can be registered with a single filing.
However, in the UK there is no system for registering photographs with the government, and there is no requirement to do so. If you keep a copy of the original digital file with the embedded exif then you have everything you need to prove ownership/date of creation/etc. Any registration service is just trying to make money off of the confusion between the different regulations/systems... it's just a scam.
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i m from UK
Actually not, Metadata can be changed so it s not a fullproof solution, the only full proof solution I know is copyright.gov :-(
sk66
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At best you are paying for a time stamp service which you don't really need. If you have uploaded it somewhere then you have the file upload date (on the server), or the post created date on facebook/twitter/etc. If you haven't uploaded it anywhere, then it's not likely for a copyright violation to occur.
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Example:
You take a picture and don't register the ownership
You share it on social media today 30th September 2020
I take your picture, change the metadata to the 10th September 2020 and I can now sue you for using my picture
You have no proof of ownership of this picture
However, if you had registered your copyright with copyright.gov on the 20th September, you ll have proof of ownership on your picture and I couldn't challenge you (because Jury will say that my metadata could have been tampered with but yours couldn't)
Box Brownie
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FWIW and my perception..................there is the why question...?
Anything you upload is at risk of copyright infringement, therefore the choice of mitigation you can take to stake your 'claim' to it is:
Metadata
Digital Watermerking
Visible Watermarking
Other than digital watermarking there other are cost free but for all practical purposes useless in "protecting" your copyright. Why, well how are you likely to find out if there has been an infringement........................yes, the likes of Pixsy or Tin Eye or even Google reverse image search might find evidence of infringement but then what action would you are you likely to take???
AFAIK non US citizens can Register their images with the US Copyright Service but again I ask why would you do that? What I would like to know, is if by registering with them as a non US citizen how will that help me if the infringement happens in (a) the US and/or a US listed countries for registration and (b) a non US listed country??? Plus, would you have to take court action in the USA or could you do so in the UK......................what jurisdiction would be appropriate?
Any UK based non Governmental Organisation that offers to take your money to register your images is not doing anything other than take your money ~ if you find one that will actually prosecute the infringer I would like to read about it!
So, back to the "why" ~ what is it that you do with your photography that needs protection and as such how deep are your pockets and your how patient are you to get any recompense?
If you shoot raw and find someone UK based who has infringed your copyright, unless you have done something very silly like given copies of the raw files away/licensed the raw files(i.e. lost physical control of the raw's), then you have IMO (have you not?) incontrovertible proof of ownership should you case ever get to court.
PS any court action should be a 'cost vs benefit' action e.g. if the likely recompense is £50 (they did not license the use on their website) but it costs you x10 that to take the action with no assurance of success it is hardly worthwhile, is it? Based on the very few stories that seem to make it into public discussion where big monies are involved, said photographer has proven to the court that lost revenue and/or reputational damage has been caused.
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DemiLion
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Let's be absolutely crystal clear:
There is NO legal mechanism for 'registering' copyright in the EU, let alone the UK.
Any scheme that you encounter is either a scam, a con or you have made a mistake.
'Copyright.gov' is a US Govt site and has no bearing or relevance in UK law. It is highly unlikely that it would be recognised by our courts.
Copyright is also automatic in the US.
The advantage of registering images with their Govt is the ability to claim punitive damages over and above actual damages.
The exceptions to copyright in this country are generally; employers' copyright, copyright reassignment by contract (for those contracted rather than employed) and Crown Copyright.
There is NO legal mechanism for 'registering' copyright in the EU, let alone the UK.
Any scheme that you encounter is either a scam, a con or you have made a mistake.
'Copyright.gov' is a US Govt site and has no bearing or relevance in UK law. It is highly unlikely that it would be recognised by our courts.
Copyright is also automatic in the US.
The advantage of registering images with their Govt is the ability to claim punitive damages over and above actual damages.
The exceptions to copyright in this country are generally; employers' copyright, copyright reassignment by contract (for those contracted rather than employed) and Crown Copyright.
D
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How'd you get the raw file?
it makes sense, I m very surprised that we don't have anything similar in UK, copyright infringements are far too easy
I m really high on Proof of ownership, what is mine is mine and I shouldn't have to worry about people stealing/using my stuff
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boyfalldown
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Not sure why camera makers add Copyright features when it s so easy to remove or temper with EXIF data https://photographylife.com/what-is-exif-data#why-remove-exif-data .
D
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Who cares, you'll still have the raw file if you needed to prove ownership.
Terrywoodenpic
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do you own this copyright.gov. you keep plugging?
Terrywoodenpic
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Some will steal it anyway, registered in the US or not
Copyright.gov, gives you no protection. It only provides evidence of ownership in America... You then have a vastly expensive court procedure to recover damages.
sk66
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Nonsense...
They download a low(er) resolution version with your watermark on it; and they either crop it or edit it to remove the watermark.
You have the original full resolution/unedited file (preferably the raw file) from which the smaller copy was made.
You can provide the original, they cannot... case closed.
lol, I wish
I agree, if they download a lower Resolution Version the case is closed
Box Brownie
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Why would anyone think it was a good idea or even needed, to upload anything other than low(er) resolution image files to publicly accessible websites!
:banghead:Why would anyone think it was a good idea or even needed, to upload anything other than low(er) resolution image files to publicly accessible websites!
this was just an example, there are other ways for someone to have access to the originals
But I now see why most of you would not really care about copyright and proof of ownership
I guess I am a very pessimistic person and always think of the worst scenario
lindsay
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I've been reading this thread out of curiosity and am still no nearer an answer to my basic question: have you taken any potentially commercially successful images that you want to protect? Or is this all a case of looking for a problem in order to possibly sell a solution? Are you a photographer?
Box Brownie
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@YanAidFab
I am very conscious of protecting my copyright!
I exhibit prints for sale on an intermittent basis and where I have included limited edition ones these will never appear on my website (though if they were I would think vary carefully as to file size and whether I would watermark them as LE?)
I never upload anything other than lower res images suitably processed for web display.
I am with @Lindsay56 as he ask what I said a while back about your imagery! On that note can you please expand on what you have said about when only low res uploads "..... there are other ways for someone to have access to the originals" just how are they going to get the originals without your allowing access???
I am very conscious of protecting my copyright!
I exhibit prints for sale on an intermittent basis and where I have included limited edition ones these will never appear on my website (though if they were I would think vary carefully as to file size and whether I would watermark them as LE?)
I never upload anything other than lower res images suitably processed for web display.
I am with @Lindsay56 as he ask what I said a while back about your imagery! On that note can you please expand on what you have said about when only low res uploads "..... there are other ways for someone to have access to the originals" just how are they going to get the originals without your allowing access???
D
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this was just an example, there are other ways for someone to have access to the originals
But I now see why most of you would not really care about copyright and proof of ownership
I guess I am a very pessimistic person and always think of the worst scenario
Again, you'd have the raw files.
Everyone cares about it, just you're the only person who seems to think it'd be hard to prove.
DemiLion
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Thx Box Brownie, I ll follow your exact steps, this is the best way In my opinion
Thank you, this comment was really helpful
I came to ask for help and advice and i did not expect this kind of welcome
boyfalldown
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It doesn't read like that. It seems you came to tell everyone to use copyright.gov despite people explaining why its no use here
Why would I tell people to use copyright if it s an US organisation? I was just looking for a similar place for UK resident as I have big concerns about proof of authentication.
I ll follow Box brownie's advices
Thx anyway
D
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I notice you're conveniently ignoring my responses...
If you're concerned, keep your RAW files. Job done.
Not conveniently ignoring it, (why r u guys so aggressive?), you need to be able to prove that you have ownership of your RAW file, if somehow someone gets hold of it, we r back to square one.
Anyway, case closed.
I m gonna go back to my copyright.gov JOB and tell them that I couldn't convince 10 people in a UK thread to use their services. lol
They paid me 50K for that mission, I hope they wont fire me
D
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Not conveniently ignoring it, (why r u guys so aggressive?), you need to be able to prove that you have ownership of your RAW file, if somehow someone gets hold of it, we r back to square one.
Anyway, case closed.
I m gonna go back to my copyright.gov JOB and tell them that I couldn't convince 10 people in a UK thread to use their services. lol
They paid me 50K for that mission, I hope they wont fire me
How on earth would someone get hold of your raw file for a start?
Ever heard of Hacking?