Where can I get a copyright for my photos? Is it normally really expensive?

Question

I'm looking into making items out of the pictures I have taken (notecards, postcards, calendars, mousepads, etc.). Does anyone know where I can go to get my pictures copyrighted? And for a reasonable price?

Answer 1

You can do this at the US Copyright Office – see the last 2 links in the source box. The application is fairly simple & the cost is $45 per application.

Despite what others state, a "poor man's" copyright is NOT the same as registering it. Here's what the US Copyright Office has to say:

"The practice of sending a copy of your own work to yourself is sometimes called a 'poor man’s copyright.' There is no provision in the copyright law regarding any such type of protection, and it is not a substitute for registration."

Hope that helps! I wish you much success & happiness in all your ventures!

Answer 2

If they are digital photos, you can simply imprint your name on them with photoshop and a copyright symbol with the year. This is also true for any image you draw on paper. All it takes is the little "c" with a circle around it, the year and your name. That is all you need to show it's yours, and when you upload it on any website, you will always have the originals as proof.

The money and research you should be investing in is a good printer who can handle your custom-made work. My school often works with http://www.modernpostcard.com/ but you might want to ask around for local places by you that might offer better deals.

There's also a little "build your own" shop called "cafepress" http://www.cafepress.com/ that I've tried out, but I've heard mixed reviews about the quality of the prints that come out from there.

On a side note, did you know you can also print your own stamps?
http://www.zazzle.com/stamps/
http://photo.stamps.com/
This really isn't something to sell, but it might be a nice idea if you want to customize the look of your outgoing business mail with your own logo or favorite images.

Answer 3

You do not have to do anything like that to get a copyright in the U.S. If it is your original work it is "automatically" copyrighted when you print or publish them.

for specific questions about the whole process, see the government website:
http://www.copyright.gov/

which is an easy-to-use website designed for people with questions like yours.

THE MAIN THING: DO NOT PAY ANYONE to get a copyright for you!!!