Registering your Images with the Copyright Office

 Eventually as a professional or an amateur photographer, the day will come that you will see one of your images used on the web or in a publication that you did not permit. It has happened to me, it will happen to you, the question, what can you do about the matter?

The assumption, as the photographer, once you have snapped the shot, own the copyright of that  image and in theory are protected by the copyright laws. Well you are, however, without actually registering those images with the United States Copyright office the amount of protection and how you can use it to your advantage can be, well limited.

First, what exactly, according to the U.S. Copyright office does a copyright protect?

Copyright, a form of intellectual property law, protects original works of authorship including literary, dramatic, musical, and artistic works, such as poetry, novels, movies, songs, computer software, and architecture. Copyright does not protect facts, ideas, systems, or methods of operation, although it may protect the way these things are expressed.

It should also be noted that according the Copyright Office the use of the copyright notice is no longer required by U.S. law, but placing a notice, will for the most part keep honest folks, honest.

So how does this protect you? Without registering your images, you are basically on your own trying to litigate against someone who has used an image without your permission.

Registered works may be eligible for statutory damages and attorney's fees in successful litigation.

So how do you register your images? You can either use the online process it is going to cost you $35.00 and they accept nearly every type of image format you can imagine or you can load up a CD or DVD with as many images as it will hold, they don't have to be high resolution, slap on label, complete the form, write a check for $30.00 for whole batch.

Here's a link that you may find helpful.

Form VA

By the way, you can't claim copyright infringement after the fact, so register before you publish.