Photography Portfolio Site

[Lawrenc...@adobeforums.com]

I got an invitation to this:

<http://www.photography-now.net/index.html>

Stunning presentation, but do any of you know these folks, and why no copyright notice appears, or am I missing it somewhere?

[Lawrenc...@adobeforums.com]

I e-mailed them about the missing notice. here's the answer:

"Since everybody can always copy any image from the screen a copyright mark is absolute useless.
A tiny little image at 72dpi can't be used for anything that will harm you.
So way bother?"

[Lawrenc...@adobeforums.com]

My answer:

OMG!

Please look at the copyright laws concerning loss of copyright by publishing
w/o copyright notice.

Am I missing something here?

Their answer:

"Try to sue a Japanese that has taken a copy of small 72 dpi image of yours.
Good luck!"

Blatant and direct. It's a frontal attack on copyrights by refusing to even publish the notice!

Looks like the media is taking or trying to take, full control of everything. Adobe is not the only one. And much milder at that.

[PSh...@adobeforums.com]

Well, resolution of an image is irrelevant (web images have value just like those in print), but he's right.

A copyright notice won't prevent someone from taking an image, and if that person is located in another country, how much are you will to spend to right the wrong? Remember that an image without a copyright notice is no less copyrighted than one that has the notice. The only real benefits are having a photo credit - and the thief can't claim they didn't know the image was copyrighted. Other than that, a copyright notice means zilch.

And really, without registering an image with the copyright office, all you can hope to achieve is to get a violator to stop using the image. Actually, you might be able to get them to pay some usage fees if they're honest at heart, but the image must be registered in order to be awarded financial compensation (the oft-mentioned $1500 per image), in most cases, should you sue.

I use notices on my websites, but the only absolute way to keep images out of unlicensed hands is to never put them on the web.

-phil

[Laurenti...@adobeforums.com]

put your own copyright notice on the pictures
(discrete, but clear; no watermark BS)

[Lawrenc...@adobeforums.com]

That's what I do anyway, and Phil, the important part is that so long as any copyright is visible at all times, you are covered. Yes you are covered from the outset but if it is published without the notice you lose.

If you win, the difference between registration and non is the unregistered image allows you to recover the usual fee for usage, registered means triple damages as a minimum + the usual fee.

[Laurenti...@adobeforums.com]

you can register after the theft, before the lawsuit if any : )

[Lawrenc...@adobeforums.com]

That would probably work, so long as you do before it gets published. Most of the time, you don't know until you see it somewhere.

In any case, she's taking a cavalier attitude towards her suppliers. I have refused advertising dollars because the agency refused to copyright the image. Nor would they consider triple fees for outright ownership. Some images would not go for even that.

[Laurenti...@adobeforums.com]

"That would probably work, so long as you do before it gets published."

no