How do I get a copyright my photography?

Question

I went to walgreen's today... and need to print out some pics. So i put my xd card in thier machine. And she said ten minutes. I cam back and she was like do u have a form? I asked what she meant she said for the copyright.. and i said they were my photos and i just put my own name in the bottom corner of it. She said i needed to copyright them or something.. i dunno but that i cant print them anymore there like that. til i get a form.

im n ot sure hoe to reply to people who give me answers .. this is the first time i have done this.. and i did put my name Jennifer Lynn Photography at the bottom of the photo.. and thats why they were leary about me.. said even if they look professional which they did im not supposed to be able to print them there wihtout some sorta form which she did not tell me what the form was..

Thank you all soo much... Yes I ended up having to show her my I.d. I will definetely have to give myself a release form ...lol.. i thought that was jsut for my clients.. but i guess not. I did tell her when she asked that it was my name ont he bottom and that I was the copyright holder. I think she thought i was pissed i wasnt soo much as this is the first time.. and she did print them.. however i jsut worried if she would print them again.. we do have millers imaging herein town and they are a huge company i could go through its just a lil more pricey.. I thank you all for my first yahoo answers experience. I appreciate all your answers.. I have so many more questions about photography.. lol

Answer 1

mark it
copyright < your name > 2007 all rights reserved

Answer 2

as the others have said the lady is barking some rubish about a form?

, if they are your pics that you shot off your own back then you own the copyright.

If the pic has your name on it (why would you do that?) just show her your I.D. (identification), with your name and picture on (where I am a car drivers licence has all those details).



the only form I can think of is one I here mentioned about the USA where people can register a copyright at the Patents Office - thats all hearsay from me, hopefully someone in USA in the trade will answer that for you.

Even so if they are your work, show your ID and get the manager if you have to, or their manager.

EDIT: ok more info, theres agreat answer above about registering but thats not what your after I think.

So another attempt for my 2 points, do what the smart fellow above me somewhere said. Do up a "release" or something on the computer, print it sign it, take it in with your ID,

or deal with a more professional organiseation and build a relationship with them.
a

Answer 3

You have no need to get a form. The lady printing your pictures is confused, they usually are (I hope there are no photofinishers reading this). She thinks that you are trying to illegally print photos with a copyright that you don't own. bring in some photo ID, tell her to compare the names and get her to print your photos with a 50% discount or beat the living **** out of her. She said ten min, Max is an hour, and she is full of BS.
You don't need a form to own a copyright, duh.

Do you happen to have her number, I love cussing these folks out.

Edit: after reading your new info.

clients don't like copyrights on their prints.

I see the issue now. and this is the truth.

They can't so much as upload you copyrighted works onto their printer without a release of rights of some kind. temporary of course. they should be able to give you a form that you fill out and sign that says. I whatever your name is, hereby grant walgreens inc. to temporary permission to store copy and print the photographs so indicated here. blah, blah, blah. then you sign it, and they print it. Otherwise you could sue them for printing your copyrighted photos.

I hope this helps

Answer 4

I would go in and speak with the supervisor there. Tell him that you own the copyright on your photos. There is absolutely no form that you need. They are your photos and you have every right to print them any way and anywhere you like. Now I could see if you walked in there with a photo that said "do not duplicate" on the back like some of the pros use, but if they are on an xd card, full resolution, they are obviously your photos. Go in and demand that your photos be printed.

Answer 5

Copyright takes place the moment you push the shutter release button. By Law ANY photograph taken by a photographer is owned by the photographer. Now if I had done some portraits of you and you try to go and make copies of them I can press charges against the photo lab for making the copies. That's why they won't make copies of photos. Most Pro Photographers will have their name embossed on the photo somewhere. Wall Greens does not need to ask you for any form what-so- ever. If they won't make copies of your picts take your business elsewere. Try a professional photo lab. .Also, Google search -->copyright your photography. One more thing Tad Crawford has a book called Business and Legal Forms for Photographers check it out ! hope that this will help joephoto75@yahoo

Answer 6

When you create work such as a photograph, as creator or author you own copyright. However problems arise in digital imaging many well know social websites strip meta data from files when uploaded. This can give rise to "orphan works" and therefore the risk of loosing your copyright. The US government are trying to pass a bill that will effect everyone around the world and every artist will have to pay a copyright registration fee in the USA to prove the own the rights. Let us assume that it cots $5 per image. How could we possibly afford to protect all our work from corporate predators looking for free images. See Pro-Imaging for more detail.

Answer 7

Next time some clerk gives you grief about printing your own photos, tell her in a loud voice that you are the copyright holder, the photos belong to you, and unless she can prove otherwise to print the damn things. Demand to see the store manager, and make her feel like crap.

These clowns enjoy giving grief. Give some back.

Answer 8

You don't need a form to prove that you have a copyright. Copyright is automatical to the artist when they create a picture, or anything else. If you want to register the copyright you can send them to the copyright office in D.C.. How can you send them if you can't print them?
Next time tell them to give you a form.

Answer 9

Well, unofficially, it's already copy righted to you, from the moment you took the photos. If you want it officially protected as well as copy righted, contact the copy right office. For everything that could possible get copy righted, they have a different form to fill out. But if you're happy for now, with just the natural copy right, right or stamp the back of each photo
"Copy right _____ to__________. Fill in the blanks. You might have to have your own rubber stamp made, but it's worth it!

Answer 10

the lady has no idea what she is talking about. photos are copyrighted the instant you take them. you dont need anything to print your own photos.

Answer 11

write your library of congress and ask for a copyright application.
it was legal to send the item you want copyrighted through the mail to your self and that,s what they call a poor boy copyright