Publishing pictures.

[Eli F]

I have a question not sure if this is the right place or not if it isnt please move it!

Anyway on tho the question. If i was to have a book printed (to sell) with all of my flower pictures that i have taken. How do i go about copywriting the pictures? Do i need too?


Thanks.

[IndyJeff]

First off before anyone can give you an answer, we need to know where you are located. Different countries have different laws concerning copyrights.

[floydianslip6]

If you're in the US here's the deal (maybe this should be stickied somewhere?):

What is copyright?
Legal protection under federal law to the "author"(you) of "original works of authorship"(your stuff)

Common Error:
You have to put the copyright notice on the work in order to have it protected.
This is NOT true. You are protected as soon as you start to make work tangible. If you register a copyright with the federal copyright office you will be able to take advantage of greater legal rights and remidies, which might even include lawyers fees.

What does copyright protect your work from?
Copyrighting allows you to have a say what gets done with your work in regards to: Reproduction, derivatives, distribution, and display

Whats protected?
The expression of your idea. Anyone can take a picture of a fire hydrant on your street but only your picture will be unique. You can't copyright the idea of taking a picture of that fire hydrant.

When is a work covered?
Its covered the second that the work is made tangible. Maximum legal protection is obtained by registering the work with the library of congress copyright office.

Who owns the copyright?
The author of the work is the owner, unless he or she transfers rights via a signed written document. Not all rights need to be granted, for exmaple you may only allow someone to DISPLAY the work, and not reproduce it. If thy reproduce it they are still in violation, even though the partially are entitled to the rights.

How long does copyright protection last?
The autors life + 50 years.

How is copyright indicated?
It is not required to be displayed on the work, remember. But it is indicated on the work with the ol' c in a circle followed by the year of publication and the name of the owner.

How do you officially register a copyright?
No lawyer is needed, to register send application Form VA [this is for visual arts works] (download it somewhere). Plus a check for $30 made out to the Copyright Office of the Library of Congress. And a copy of the work being registered.

Once they review the application you will receive back a certificate of registration of copyright.

(Most of the above info was a summary from the section about copyright law in "Taking the Leap" a book about becoming a visual artist)

Thats all there is to it. Often times this full protection will entitle you to legal fees and everything if your copyright is violated. If you're not registered you're still covered you just don't have quiet the same amount of rights as you do if you don't register it. One way or the other people can't copy your stuff though.

[Eli F]

That helps! I am in the USA by the way.