There is some confusion over the 'Copyright' thing.
Copyright is something that belongs to the author or creator of a photograph...and as we are photographers producing photographs for clients that means that all copyright belongs to us and does so for a very long time....in fact, for 70 years after our death!
It is illegal for anyone to copy any of our photographs either by scanning, photocopying or indeed photographing a photograph (and yes, it has happened), the person, or shop, doing so is breaching our copyright and can be prosecuted.
If you take one of our photographs to somewhere else, for example on the high street, to be copied and made into something like a canvas or to be enlarged then legally that place has to, under copyright law, contact us to ask our permission..............and of course we're going to say no, it cannot be copied! If they carry out the work they are doing so illegally and can be, and will be, prosecuted.
It is important that we, as photographers, protect our copyright this is why some photographers put watermarks on their photographs, or text across the photographs or add metadata on digital files...which leads us onto a different subject.
Digital files - we are constantly being asked...
"If I buy a HRCD (high resolution digital CD) or a digital file from you does that mean I own the copyright"?
The short answer is NO.
You buy the usage rights which means that yes, you can print from them or whatever you want to do with them, however legally you should always ask permission from the photographer (we provide a letter with our HRCD stating that we provide usage rights). This is why digital files aren't cheap which leads us onto another subject but we'll save this for another time.
We have the right to object if our work is distorted, and the right to an accurate credit where our photographs are unfairly used in publications. These are obviously important to protecting and to spreading our reputation - which without we have no work.
For more information, and some light reading, on the Copyright Act please click here
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