Copyrighting my images for real?

Hello,

Aside from entering in copyright information via software like Adobe Bridge, putting some kind of watermark on the image, legally speaking, in order to protect your images, what do you guys do?

When I click on a lot of the member's gallaries (own site, smugsmug, pbase, etc...) I see some that don't have anything while others with watermarking. (Typically some kind of copyright mark in the format xxxx photgraphy...)

Do a lot of you actually go through the "legal" process to register it as a trademark, etc?

I am interested in protecting my images so I was just wondering how to go about doing so.

http://www.copyright.g​ov/register/visual.htm​l

I'm in the process of doing this now.

How about the actual names like "xxxxx photgraphy" etc?
Do you guys typically register that name?

Like if you wanted to do some home base, on-the-side business just for agument's sake (not interest in that right now, only to protect my images...) which I see some of you have, how serious you need to take the name for your side thing?

Do you have to send that in to copyright each individual photo so people can't take them and call them their own?

You don't have to register the photo to have the rights to the copyright. However, it can affect what remedies you get if someone pinches it. Trademark is something totally different by the way. If you want to find out the good information on the subject, rather than a lot of what a friend told my brother's mate, have a look at this website http://www.photoattorn​ey.com/. The person who runs it spoke at a symposium I was at recently and she was very enlightening. She also has a really good book on the topic and a lot of other issues if you run a business with your photography.

You put them all on a CD & ©/register them all at once for just one $45 fee.

How to Copyright your Photographs; Peter Krogh
http://www.peterkrogh.​com/copyright/main.htm​l
The short form:
http://www.dcphotograp​hers.com/common/pdf/fo​rmvas.pdf

A compendium of resources on copyright - Editorial photographers links
http://www.editorialph​oto.com/copyright/
ASMP: Property Releases - A Subject of Urban Legend
http://www.asmp.org …rce/legal_artic​le_001.php
http://www.asmp.org/co​mmerce/legal/copyright​/

Copyrighting Your Images and Deterring Image Theft
http://www.rickbakerim​ages.com …righting_your_i​mages.html

http://fairuse.stanfor​d.edu …rview/chapter9/​index.html

10 Big Myths about copyright explained
http://www.templetons.​com/brad/copymyths.htm​l

Thanks for those links.

I also wanted to know if most of you actually follow through with legally registering your names on the watermarks you have on the photos.
(Or in fact you HAVE to?)

I was thinking about putting a watermark like "Copyright 2007 xxxxxxxx" on my photos...does that enhance the inherent protection? Or do I actually need to register something with the government?

How about putting ownership stuff on the file itself. When I open up my RAW's in Bridge (Or file info in PS CS2), I see a whole bunch of areas where I can put ownership information, yet in Windows Explorer, when I right-click, I see an empty "Author" section...

I guess it's time for me to mess around a little with all this.

Can anyone post a couple of quick points to the advantages of registering? I was under the impression that a photographer owns their picture from the second they took it.

You own the (C) without registering or watermarking. A watermark will make it harder for some to say "I didn't know."

I put some in with an action. Can't hurt.

No registration = you go to court & get "value" of the pic.
Registration = you go to court & get "value" of the pic + punitive damages. Big ones.

Great, great information!

Thank you...