Here are 3 outstanding facts about photograph copyright to put some attention on them.
FACT 1: The minute someone snaps the shutter, that person owns the copyright.
For instance, imagine you and your friends are snapping photos in front of the Washington Monument. You hand your camera over to your best friend who happens to snap a photo that would be perfect for posting on Shutterstock for a bit of extra cash. The problem is you don’t own the photo – your friend does.
FACT 2: Photo copyrights can be superseded by other rights.
Keep in mind when taking photos that your ownership rights may be overtaken by other rights. The reason for this is that individuals photographed enjoy a particular kind of privacy right called the right to publicity. This means that the photographed individual is in control of their likeness when it’s used for commercial purposes. In other words, a photographer may not sell photos, or use photos of individuals to advertise their business, without first obtaining the proper consent.
FACT 3: Watermarking is not the only way to protect photographic copyrights.
The subject of watermarking is usually widely debated among photographers. Many artists see the value in using them, but are unwilling to sacrifice the quality and visibility of their photos. This will not prevent copying, like watermarking does, but a smart idea is to outline permission rules for all social media, including Tumblr, Twitter and other non-commercial, personal websites. For instance, viewers might be allowed one posting of a minimum pixel photo alongside a link to the copyright holder’s website proper credit.
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