Las Vegas? American copyright?

[Fenster]

I gather that these forums are US-biased so this is probably a good spot to ask this:

I'm moving to Las Vegas from Ireland in a little under two weeks, where I hope to put my photography to practical use in supporting my family. I've lived there before and I know that the city has a huge entertainment industry and a huge market for photographers - from reading Craigslists and a few other listings sites that there's a big market for cash-in-hand casual work.

Eh, anyways. I know it's also hugely competitive and I'm in the middle of picking out photos to put together in a portfolio as well as trying to secure work ahead of moving.

Would anyone here have had experience with the city, paticularly in respect to contracts and copyright?

Am I also right to assume that in common with Irish law copyright on a work defaults to whomever I was shooting for?

Cheers!

[ssim]

Am I also right to assume that in common with Irish law copyright on a work defaults to whomever I was shooting for?

Cheers!
You give up your legal rights to your photographs under a general "work for hire" rule. However, it is up to you to negotiate a contract/agreement that will allow you to fulfill what your client wants and what your ongoing needs are. Having a client and work for hire are different things. Work for hire would be where you are hired by a firm as an employee (even if it is part time for a day) and you perform functions as directed by them. Say you got a job shooting an event for Joe's Event Photography, he would retain the copyright unless otherwise specified. It is however fairly easy to negotiate some use of these providing that you do it before you commence the work. I regularly hire second shooters and I retain the copyright but allow them to use anything that they shot for self promotion such as their website or portfolio. A client is where they contract directly with you for photographic services and it standard that the photographer retain the the copyright. This is my understanding of the rules in the US.

Here are some links that you might find useful:

Amazon Business & Legal Forms for Photographers (http://www.amazon.com/Business-Legal-Forms-Photographers/dp/158115206X/sr=1-1/qid=1164236855/ref=pd_bbs_1/104-8855937-6439101?ie=UTF8&s=books)
Editorial Photo Copyright Primer (http://www.editorialphoto.com/copyright/primer.asp)
US Photographers Rights (http://www.krages.com/phoright.htm)
Pricing Guide - How to Make a Profit (http://www.virtualphotographystudio.com/members/203_pricing_guide.pdf)

[PhotosGuy]

Q & A: Dwight McCann (Event Photography) (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=81761)

[Fenster]

Threade of olde, arise from thy grave.

Thank you both for the links, it was infomative reading for sure.

[canadianbacon52]

I know that this is my second post and all, but don't photographers retain the copyright unless there is an explicit agreement otherwise (in the United States)? I know that for a long time, whoever hired the photographer did keep the copyright, but the Supreme Court reversed that around the seventies I thought...

[PhotosGuy]

I know that this is my second post and all, but don't photographers retain the copyright unless there is an explicit agreement otherwise (in the United States)? Yes. I know that for a long time, whoever hired the photographer did keep the copyright, In a "Work for Hire" by an employee situation.
http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ09.pdf