Friday 29 July 2011

Protecting Photography From Copyright Infringement – A Photographer’s Guide

Professional photographers know what it takes to create a quality photograph. They put a lot of brain, aesthetics and hard work behind each and every snapshot. Quite naturally, when they notice any unauthorized use of their creations, it simply raises their blood pressure. So, what to do in such situations? First of all, it is important for you to know that all of your recent creations are under the protection of US Copyright Laws, as long as a copyright is registered with the US Copyright Office. However, a registered copyright doesn’t always save your pictures from being copied or misused. The Internet is an open platform for millions of users worldwide. So, what if someone copies your images and uses them online without paying a license fee?

Photographers and photographic agencies can off course take actions against infringers. However, it is not mandatory that ‘actions’ should always be legal actions. There are other sensible ways to deal with such situations, or even to deny arousal of any such situation. Take time out from busy schedules to read and understand the copyright law. Proper know-how on legal measures can make things easy to understand. For example, photographers should know the difference between selling a photo and licensing it. Additionally, they should understand that they have options when it comes to copyright infringement protection.

Intellectual property protection firms can be a great way to deal with copyright infringement of your photographic works. The basic role of these firms is to track down infringements across the Internet. In addition a limited number of firms work with photographers and photographic agencies to recover monetary settlements due to copyright infringement. The Copyright Enforcement Group ("CEG") is leading by examples among copyright protection firms. It holds a good reputation in settling claims between infringers and copyright owners.

In the case of a lawsuit, an infringer can be charged with damages all the way up to $150,000 per infringement plus the costs of legal representation. On the other hand, intellectual property protection firms like CEG charge small one-time settlement fees in exchange for releasing infringers from liability. Moreover, they keep the whole issue confidential and save infringers from facing uncomfortable situations later. For copyright owners, protection firms are hassle-free ways to recover compensation from infringers.

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