A common question we get asked about is copyright protection: Is using Digimarc for Images "like being copyrighted?" We do not copyright and/or register your images, but provide you with the tools to find and identify them. Don't stop reading, there's more!

Zone Out Photoshop Doodle

I attended a couple of sessions at Photoshop World that clarified some issues behind copyrights and image releases. Edward Greenberg and Jack Reznicki were the presenters who run the Copyright Zone blog, a site filled with loads of information on copyrights and other issues regarding photography.

A quick summary from my notes:

1. When you create it, you own it.

2. If you don't register it, it's probably worthless. "No recourse" was the operative term they used.

3. Never sell your ownership; license the usage.

4. Mailing a copy to yourself in a sealed envelope does nothing for you or your copyright, but it helps the Postal Service.

5. Registering a copyright is easy at the electronic Copyright Office.

6. You should check out thecopyrightzone.com. I'm a secondhand source.

7. Finding your images is really important if you want compensation, so use Digimarc For Images!

So lucky number 7 maybe a shameless plug, but who else is going to search tons of images each year, for an annual fee as low as $99? Ninety-nine bucks isn't much. Read this article on the Copyright Zone to get an idea of how much a registered image could be worth... of course your image or mine might not be quite as lucrative.