Copyright date?

[Stan35mm]

Should I mark my pictures with the date it was registered for copyright (not yet...), or when it was taken (up to several years ago)? Thanks.

[RockSlut]

I am not a lawyer, but as I understand the principles of copyright (which do vary between countries)...

Copyright date is the year that the photograph was taken. Your rights are affirmed as soon as the image is recorded. Registration of the work is simply an administrative process that verifies your rights, as your rights in relation to that photograph become a matter of public record.

However, you should consult with a lawyer or the local copyright office to verify this. If you search on copyright on this forum you will find a wide variety of answers with varying degrees of accuracy. This or any other internet messageboard is not the right place to be seeking legal advice.

[Digital Prophet]

RockSlut (whose name I love) is right about the enactment date of valid copyright being from the moment of creation.

However registration of the image performs one huge benefit that you do not have otherwise. As I recall with out registration and certification of copyright in the instance of infringement you can only seek compensation equal to the sale of that image and the rights for which it has been used. I.E. you could only sue for the amount of cash you WOULD have gotten if you had sold you image rights to a website for display on thier index page for X number of weeks.

However with registration you can sue for legal fees, compensation and punitive damages. I.E. get whats yours and some of what's thiers.

I too am not a lawyer. But I played one in a role playing game that was a cross between Law and Order and Dungeons and Dragons. We called it Courtrooms and Ghouls. Long story.

- Digital Prophet -