Copyright Process for Photographers

The copyright process for photographers is relatively simple.  The moment that the image is put into creation form, ie. recorded by the camera, the image is copyrightable.  To copyright an image, the first and most important part of the process is to establish your ownership of the photograph by putting the copyright symbol, your name or DBA name, and the date.  Doing this will ensure you the instant power of protection awarded by the United States Government. The next step is nearly as important and is the registration of your work with the Copyright office either electronically or using form VA, submitting a sample of the work/s, and the accompanying fee. This is an important step when having works that are published to protect your rights.  Once you have your image copyrighted you move into a situation where you are checking up with your clients and running searches through the internet for the use of your images outside of the scope of the rights.  At this point you are able to file a Cease and Desist letter to the violator and if need be take further action to reclaim any lost revenue.