Copyright Information

by Bill Hall | More from this Blogger

I mentioned copyrights in a previous post, and there have been other articles pertaining to copyright here on families.com. Copyright, as it pertains to photography is no different than what applies to writing or other forms of art. What you need to know, at the most basic level, is that by law, every photo that you take is automatically protected as yours under copyright.

It is not necessary to register your photos in the copyright office to claim that protection. If you are using your photos on a website or sharing them online, it is a really good idea to include a copyright notice on all your pictures. This can be done with photoshop or other photo editing software.

I use Photoshop Elements(free with my printer software)mostly, and all you need to do is to open the picture file you want to add the copyright notice to. The easiest way to add your copyright notice is to make one up in Microsoft Word. File > New > Blank Document. Then type in, for example, Copyright © 2006 William H. Hall III/ Aquarius Photography. The format is the same for your photo. Copyright (copyright symbol - insert > symbol > ©) Year, Your Name.

Copy that to the clipboard (ctrl C or edit > copy). Now, open a new file in photoshop. A 600 by 200 will do, and set the background as transparent. Hit enter. Do ctrl - V or edit > paste, and your copyright notice will now be in a photoshop file. Go up to edit > define brush... and name the brush "copyright notice". Hit okay or save. Make a note of what brush number was assigned. It will usually be the highest number on the brush menu.

Open a picture file and click on the paintbrush tool. Your new brush, the copyright notice, should be active. If not, select it. Then just drag your copyright notice onto the picture and left click where you want it to go. That's about the easiest way I have found to add a copyright notice to a photo. If you know of an easier way, let me know.

Again, any picture you take is automatically protected as yours, under the copyright law. But just to be sure, add the notice to any pictures you use online. For further protection, you may register your photos with the copyright office, but it is not a requirement to do so.

Learn more about Bill Hall

Bill is a professional freelance photographer and web designer, who lives with his wife of 17 years and their 12 year-old daughter in Arizona. He also lives with three dogs and two parakeets.

View Full Profile | More from this Blogger