can i copyright my pictures?

[o snap!]

hello friends

i was wondering how can i make sure that other users arent able to copy my pictures that i post and say that its there own work. ( my pictures might not be that great but id like to take the credit for them)

[steven]

When you take a picture it is automatically copyrighted.

Now to stop someone from taking and using you picture, there just is no way of doing that while letting them view the picture as well.
The best I have seen are to place you name and a copyright logo on the picture. In the post processing section there is a sticky at the top of the page that has how to.

There are such things as hidden watermarks so that you can prove a picture is yours later but these can be expensive.

[o snap!]

i love this forum you guys dont care if i ask stupid questions and your always so helpful. thanks for the info steven :lol:

[LisaMarie]

Hello Osnap- like the previous poster stated there is already an implied copyright of intellectual property once you make the photograph in the US/ UK and other places.

Placing your name or a symbol of your choice embedded in the image should make you happy enough as far as online digital images . Some like to place their name on a bottom corner or have a raised semi transparent © dead center.

For your own website there are many antipiracy image copy protection programs that will make it very hard for users to copy, download save and or link to your photographs- that may be of use to you if you have your own website. Here is an example of such http://www.artistscope.com/software.htm (http://www.artistscope.com/software.htm)

Like all things online, software etc can be cracked so lots of people aren't all that comfortable with this as a "solution" while some find it gives them extra piece of mind.

In the end you just might be better off posting low resolution photos online with a watermark if you are that concerned about copying. Make it a little harder for some one to get that decent of an image from your work- and hey if your work is good enough for people to steal- you should be selling and happily smiling at the cash flow it not showing it online 1st ! Just MHO

[defordphoto]

Yes, your pictures are copyrighted. Sorta. To be able to have recourse if someone "steals" your photos, you have to register them with the US copyright office. They will take CD's and DVD's loaded with photos.

See: http://www.copyright.gov/

[o snap!]

thanks for the info guys, now i can post pictures with out being paranoid (lol):lol:

[delhi]

well being an amateur like myself, if someone wants to err.... copy and use my pictures for prints would be a complement to my noobie photography skills. LOL!!! :D