Copywriting?

[AKcepted]

The Alamy contract says something about having to copywrite my images. How do I do that??THX

[spacecadet]

The word is copyright. If you took the photographs, you weren't an employee at the time, and you haven't assigned it, you own the copyright.

[MandyD]

copyright is created automatically when you create the image...are they referring to registering the copyright? that's a different matter.

[Bryan]

You can embed a copyright statement within the exif data in all of your images. There are various ways of doing this, but I use Lightroom, where my copyright info is automatically added to any photo uploaded to that software. I update the message annually  to include the current year. I inevitably forget how to do this each January, but a quick Google search will reveal the method. 

[Martin P Wilson]

On 05/03/2018 at 07:55, Bryan said:

You can embed a copyright statement within the exif data in all of your images. There are various ways of doing this, but I use Lightroom, where my copyright info is automatically added to any photo uploaded to that software. I update the message annually  to include the current year. I inevitably forget how to do this each January, but a quick Google search will reveal the method. 

 

My understanding that the date is no longer strictly necessary in a copyright notice. Probably still good practice though.

 

Most serious cameras also allow you to embed the author/copyright notice in the EXIF data when the photo is taken. That of course is the moment when the copyright is created.

[MandyD]

Copyright automatically applies to all types of original expression. The EXIF data helps protect the copyright, but the copyright is established the second you take the photo. Registering the copyright further protects it (makes it easier to prove ownership, but all you need in the original RAW file these days), but you maintain copyright on everything until you sell it or it 70 years after your death (this is why estates can license things and such). This goes for all work created after January 1, 1978. Works created before January 1, 1978..life time of the artist plus 70 years.  Amendment to a 1976 Copyright Act in 1998 further extended these protections to 95 years. Now exceptions...works made for hire or anonymous works... 95 years from publication or 120 years from creation, whichever is shorter. I am taking my risk management designation...this was an exam question last week. All sorts of other little weirdness, but this is the meat and potatoes of it.

[spacecadet]

7 hours ago, MandyD said:

Copyright automatically applies to all types of original expression. The EXIF data helps protect the copyright, but the copyright is established the second you take the photo. Registering the copyright further protects it (makes it easier to prove ownership, but all you need in the original RAW file these days), but you maintain copyright on everything until you sell it or it 70 years after your death (this is why estates can license things and such). This goes for all work created after January 1, 1978. Works created before January 1, 1978..life time of the artist plus 70 years.  Amendment to a 1976 Copyright Act in 1998 further extended these protections to 95 years. Now exceptions...works made for hire or anonymous works... 95 years from publication or 120 years from creation, whichever is shorter. I am taking my risk management designation...this was an exam question last week. All sorts of other little weirdness, but this is the meat and potatoes of it.

You seem to be quoting from the US Copyright Act. The Canadian term is shorter.

 Anyway, although the OP seems to have gone, we don't know what country they're from.  

[MandyD]

On 3/11/2018 at 00:43, spacecadet said:

You seem to be quoting from the US Copyright Act. The Canadian term is shorter.

 Anyway, although the OP seems to have gone, we don't know what country they're from.  

Yes, that is the US...Canada is life plus 50.