Copyright – Part 5 : When is copyright effective?
Copyright is effective at the time the content is created. When a picture is taken, the copyright holder then owns the copyright to that picture at the time it is taken. For every camera click or beep a new copyright is created. The Copyright Office states: “A work that is created (fixed in tangible form for the first time) on or after January 1, 1978, is automatically protected from the moment of its creation” (Library of Congress Copyright Office, 2003, p. 30). This is true only if the work was not for hire, the person(s) who hired the photographer would be considered the copyright holder of the work at the time of creation.
For example, vacation photos could be considered copyrighted by the lucky vacationer. Those beautiful beach sunset photos that neighbors love to show off can be considered copyrighted on the evening it was taken.
Tags: copyright, how to, legal, part 5, photography, rights
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