> Can you point to specific cases where this is true? If an image can be traced to an original source and imaging seems reliable in this aspect the evidence should be obvious in a court of law.
> Not having registered copyright is not a bad thing, like not having homeowner's insurance or some other risky exposure to a liability, because you are very protected anyway, but without a registered copyright you are more likely to get bogged down in an expensive and cumbersome legal process that is time and money -inefficient.
It's not a matter of establishing copyright ownership. The point is that you *cannot* get statutory damages in the US if the images are unregistered. No lawyer will take your case on contingency. The award amount that you can hope to get will not cover your time and/or legal expenses, so the US legal system would be essentially useless to you. It's that bad.
Besides the links already mentioned, I recommend http://www.photoattorney.com/
You'd be amazed how small the demand is for pictures of trees... - Fred Astaire to Audrey Hepburn
www.photo-muse.blogspot.com blog
I just asked this on APUG too: must be morphic resonance at work...
Can foreigners register copyright with the L.O.C.? And does this afford them the same protection as US residents and citizens?
In short, as a UK citizen resident in Sweden, can I and should I register my copyright in the U.S.A.?
I'm pretty sure you can - I know lots of Canadian photographers who do - especially editorial/photojournalists who work with a lot of US publications.
I've registered in the past
Remember it would only apply to any infringements within the US (in general the copyright law that applies is that where the infringement occurs - not where the owner of the copyright resides. This is of course complicated these days by the internet...).
I'll see if I can find something on it
You'd be amazed how small the demand is for pictures of trees... - Fred Astaire to Audrey Hepburn
www.photo-muse.blogspot.com blog
You'd be amazed how small the demand is for pictures of trees... - Fred Astaire to Audrey Hepburn
www.photo-muse.blogspot.com blog
Thanks Tim. Sounds worth doing.
I work in the federal government, and all of our mail is irradiated, and it can affect ink on paper and who knows what else. When we have to exchange computer disks, we courier them.
For the copyright office, an office representative recommended sending the images in on a gold archival disk, along with the requisite paperwork and fee, via couriers such as UPS or FedEx that can track and verify delivery. Courier packages are not irradiated. I also send in a printed copy of my images as backup. All of these items are secured as part of the registration.
Mike
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