Stockland Martel

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Copyrights. It’s one of those issues that are basic to a photographer’s business yet seem so difficult to pin down. And the ease with which images can be plucked from the Web has only made the subject more vexing. Thankfully, American Photo has posted a primer on copyrights that even the most legalese-allergic photographer can take on board. An excerpt:

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“Some kinds of unauthorized use don’t violate copyright.

Before you cry foul, make sure it wasn’t allowed under the fair-use doctrine or an implied contract, such as the rules you agree to by submitting your photo to a contest.

Copyrighted images can be used without permission or payment “for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, or research,” according to The Law (In Plain English) for Photographers by attorney Leonard D. Duboff (Allworth Press, 2002; $20). Exceptions have also been made for parodies and library use. Unsure? Contact a copyright lawyer.

Many photo contests (ours included) have rules that allow the sponsor to use entries for promotional and other purposes. You retain copyright, but you may not get paid.

Shot a photo for your employer, or under a work-for-hire contract? Your employer owns the copyright.”

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You can read the rest of “5 Things You Should Know About Photo Copyrights” here. In fact, you should probably bookmark it.

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