How to Get a Photo Copyrighted

Copyrighting photographs, whether published or not, is an important legal step to avoid photography theft. Though legally any literary or intellectual work is copyrighted by the creator upon production, proving copyright infringement without legal registration through the U.S. Copyright Office can be difficult. Unscrupulous people and businesses illegally use images as their own sometimes, and a formal certificate of copyright can bolster any resulting legal case. Fortunately, the process of copyrighting photographs has become easier than it once was, and you can do it online in most cases.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Visit the "Registration of Photographs" section of the U.S. Copyright Office's website to ensure you understand the rules and regulations before applying to copyright your photos. In most cases, you can include as many as 750 photos on one copyright application.

2. Visit "The Copyright Office Offers Online Registration" website and read the brief information about how you can copyright your photos online or by mail for $45 or less.

3. Decide how you want to copyright your photos. You can register the work online and mail in a CD-ROM or prints of your images, do the entire process through mail, or try to do the entire process online. Doing at least part of the process costs less money and time than doing the entire process through the mail.

4. Visit the "Online Services" section of the U.S. Copyright Office to get started with the online photo registration process. Consider viewing some of the provided tutorials before getting into the actual application to copyright your photographs.

5. Fill out the online application, which includes information such as your full name, address, phone number and specifics about your photographs or photo collection such as titles and year of photography.

6. Upload your photos or mail a CD-ROM or prints of your images as instructed to the U.S. Copyright Office. Sending these by certified mail is always a good idea to ensure maximum protection of your creative work.

7. Pay the photo copyright fee of $35 per application online, using your credit card, debit card or checking account.

8. Receiving your certificate of copyright formally completes the process of getting a photo or group of photos copyrighted. The U.S. Copyright Office makes no promises or estimates concerning how long it will take for you to get your certificate. Copyright laws, however, cite that your photos are legally protected from the moment you take them. Using the online filing process expedites the process of getting a certificate of copyright and allows you to track your application status on the Internet.

Tips & Warnings

• Remember that, if you sold your photograph to a newspaper or other publication, you may have sold them rights to your work and no longer have the right to copyright it. Check your contract with the periodical before seeking a copyright of such photos.

Resources

• U.S. Copyright Office: Registration of Photographs
• The Copyright Office Offers Online Registration
• U.S. Copyright Office: Online Services

Who Can Help Sponsored

• Copyright Online Today at LegalZoom