Copyrighting event photos?

I'm semi-sure that someone on POTN has mentioned this but I can't find it.. but when you shoot 1200+ images per day at events, is there a way to copyright all of the images for that day as a 'group' with the US Copyright office? .. or must they be done individually?

According to the copyright laws, even without a signature or watermark, the images, legally, belong to the author... yet, I still see that many people are advocating registration with the US Copyright office re their photos.

I have numerous graphic art images (that I use commercially over the last 23 years) that I've registered, but for the past 3 years of shooting horse event photos, I've just used the world's most obnoxous watermarks. .. (and yet, have still had to issue infringement notifications). ... anyway, I know my images are legally mine.. but was wondering what people know about registering large 'groups' of images. .. and why, in your opinions, think it's necessary if original ownership can be proven without it?

You can put them all on a CD and send them in as a collection.
Check out photoattorney.com , she has info on that there.

Thank you.

I'd recommend copyright registrations every other month or quarterly. Do a batch with thumbnails of all you shot within the last time period. That should be sufficient. The copyright just has to be registered within 90 days of "first publication". These days that would mean within 90 days after you first post the images on the Internet, for example.

amfoto1 wrote in post #11647443
The copyright just has to be registered within 90 days of "first publication". These days that would mean within 90 days after you first post the images on the Internet, for example.

I'm almost certain that this is not true, and that the 90 window is only for attaining certain damages in the case of fraudulent use; you have three years to register a photograph after it has been taken.

TheBurningCrown wrote in post #11649562
I'm almost certain that this is not true, and that the 90 window is only for attaining certain damages in the case of fraudulent use; you have three years to register a photograph after it has been taken.

According to US law, "Registration may be made at any time within the life of
the copyright." That means an individual (or his heirs) has his entire life plus 70 years to register the copyright after the work has been created.

All other limitations refer to whether and how long after you can collect damages after infringements. It may be too late to register copyright to collect on a particular infringement in the past, but you've got life+70 years to protect against infringements of the future.

Many very IP-knowledgeable commercial photographers practice quarterly registration of all their work, even when their work gets published within weeks of creation. The three-month (not 90 days--three months...get that right, especially if February is one of the three months) grace period does protect them.

RDKirk wrote in post #11649643
You have forever to register the copyright after it's been taken. All other limitations refer to whether and how long after you can collect damages after infringements.

Sorry - my mistake. I was referring to a three year statute of limitations for filing a lawsuit.

TheBurningCrown wrote in post #11649562
I'm almost certain that this is not true, and that the 90 window is only for attaining certain damages in the case of fraudulent use; you have three years to register a photograph after it has been taken.

If you register unpublished or within 90 days of first publication, you get the advantage of being able to lump all the photos onto 1 CD or DVD and fill out one single page form to register. (If they're unpublished images, you can even do it online!)

If you wait until after 90 days, you have to fill out a GR/PPH/CON form. This requires filling a title and publication date, nation of publication, and an optional description of the photograph for EACH AND EVERY PHOTO YOU ARE REGISTERING on a form. Each form has 15 or so blanks for this info. So registering 300 images means filling out 20 pages of forms. Usually by hand.

So as you can see, while you can technically register a copyright long after it was published, it really saves you a lot of time if you do it within 90 days (or if you do it before you publish it at all).

The time you wait before registering will have a direct impact on damage awards and the recovery of legal fees.