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Alonzo84

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Dec 18, 2009
845
26
North Carolina
How do you copyright your digital images so that the copyright logo and your name appear on the photo itself? Can it be done in Photshop Elements?
 

RHVC59

macrumors 6502
May 10, 2008
397
0
Eugene, Oregon
Are you asking about Copyright or watermarking images?

Registering a Copyrighting is done with the federal government see http://www.photosecrets.com/tips.copyright.html for more info.

For watermarking there are several tutorials out there I amd sure there are some good ones at the NAPP website http://www.photoshopuser.com
or do a search on watermarking with PS Elements one can be found here http://graphicssoft.about.com/cs/photoshopelements/ht/psewatermark.htm

Actions in Photoshop can be your friend...
 

Westside guy

macrumors 603
Oct 15, 2003
6,340
4,158
The soggy side of the Pacific NW
Please note that whether you add an explicit copyright indicator or not - you have copyright over your own photos from the moment you take them (in the United States at least).

People on the web tend to be very lax/ignorant about copyright, so adding the copyright text may very well be a good idea as an additional deterrent - but it's not required.
 

Nostromo

macrumors 65816
Dec 26, 2009
1,358
2
Deep Space
The best place to actually register your copyright is the library of congress.

There is an online registration interface, and you can register as many photos you want for $ 35.

For professionals this is very helpful. If a business steals your image - a registration makes it more expensive for them.

This is best for images stolen for commercial purposes.

Generally: for common image theft take-down notices are enough. If the person is stubborn, you can email the provider. It's not rare that websites of image thieves disappear then.
 

chaos86

macrumors 65816
Sep 11, 2003
1,006
7
127.0.0.1
You automatically hold the copyright on any original work you create.

Proving it is the trick. Whenever you create something, just be sure to keep an original somewhere, with a date stamp on it. A quick note: If it's a digital work, and it's the kind of thing that you'll be updating over and over again, saving over the original file, that will update the date stamp on the file, and you won't win a legal fight by saying you created something first. Just keep the early sketches or an early version backed up. (Can you tell I write original web apps?)
 

Alonzo84

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Dec 18, 2009
845
26
North Carolina
You automatically hold the copyright on any original work you create.

Proving it is the trick. Whenever you create something, just be sure to keep an original somewhere, with a date stamp on it. A quick note: If it's a digital work, and it's the kind of thing that you'll be updating over and over again, saving over the original file, that will update the date stamp on the file, and you won't win a legal fight by saying you created something first. Just keep the early sketches or an early version backed up. (Can you tell I write original web apps?)

If you shoot in RAW (NEF), does the original date stamp remain after processing and editing?
 

emorydunn

macrumors 6502
Jun 5, 2006
457
0
Austin Texas
If you want to put copyright information on/ in the image its self you either have to add a watermark or add copyright data to the metadata. I know in Lightroom you can do this and you can probably do it in Aperture and Photoshop as well, although I don't know exactly how in the last two.
 

compuwar

macrumors 601
Oct 5, 2006
4,717
2
Northern/Central VA
Please note that whether you add an explicit copyright indicator or not - you have copyright over your own photos from the moment you take them (in the United States at least).

People on the web tend to be very lax/ignorant about copyright, so adding the copyright text may very well be a good idea as an additional deterrent - but it's not required.

The indicator doesn't really help. What really helps is registration. With registration you go from actual damages to punitive damages. So, if you lose nothing by the theft, you get nothing (and I don't think the theft is actionable in that case)- if you lose say $1500 you get $1500 if you don't register the image. If you register it, then suddenly the average out of court settlement rises to something like USD$60,000. I believe the statutory maximum is USD$120,000- but you can Google the Copyright Act for the actual information.

This is just my opinion, you should consult a lawyer for advice.

Paul
 

ChrisA

macrumors G5
Jan 5, 2006
12,578
1,695
Redondo Beach, California
How do you copyright your digital images so that the copyright logo and your name appear on the photo itself? Can it be done in Photshop Elements?

The simplest way. Make an image the just has the words on it you want. Make the text white and background "clear".

Put his on a larer over you image and adjut the layer's transparency to souit your taste

There are more complex methods but I think people are looking for something simple
 
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