A copyright gives you exclusive rights to copy and distribute your picture. If someone else wants to reproduce the picture, he needs your permission and, if you choose, must pay a fee. It was necessary to file for a copyright through the U.S. government until the Berne Convention of 1989 eliminated that requirement. As soon as you snap the picture, it's your exclusive work. Of course, you can still copyright it if you want an official layer of protection.

Copyright Form

Fill out a Works of Visual Art copyright form through the U.S. Copyright Office. You can get these forms online or order one through the mail. They can be returned using either method as well; the online method lowers the filing fee from $45 to $35. Filing online also has the advantage of a faster return on your copyright request, and you can track the status of your request. The form will require you to give all of the specifics of when the pictures were taken and establish your identity as the creator. You can submit multiple pictures under a single filing. Mail a DVD or CD with the images to the copyright office. They do not have to be high quality; between 250 and 300 pixels is sufficient. Once you have the copyright in hand, you can seek punitive and compensatory damages in court from anyone who uses the image without your permission. Understand that only tangible work can be copyrighted, not ideas. You might have great photos of the New York City skyline, but you cannot keep other people from taking pictures from the same vantage point. Your copyright lasts for your lifetime, plus 70 years. Unless you pass on the copyright to someone else, the photo will enter the public domain, and anyone can use it.

Establishing Ownership

Your copyright may be automatic, but it doesn't hurt to protect your images, especially if you're posting them on the Internet. Use a photo editing program to add the encircled c copyright sign, or ©, to your photos, along with the date that you took them, where the photo was snapped and your name. Some photographers go a step farther and add a watermark to their photos that identifies the photo as their property. All of these safeguards are added protection if you wind up in court over an ownership dispute. The phrase "all rights reserved" is not necessary, either, but it can also be included on your photos to protect them from international photo piracy.

Source:

Wedding Photo Directory: Copyright Protection

U.S. Copyright Office: Forms