About Copyright

The reason that photographers need to copyright their images is that this is our livelihood and our art and our creativity. That’s why we are professionals and why you are hiring US rather than letting Uncle Joe take the pictures. In these days of digital photo scanners and printers, this issue is even more relevant.

As an example, there is an FBI warning at the beginning of every DVD and video saying that it is against the law to make copies even for personal use! Of course everyone does, but it is against the law for a reason. And the point is, we are not Sony or Microsoft. Everyone feels ok ripping off large corporations, but this is my livelihood and I earn my living by providing a service and then selling the product of that service.

Everyone knows about musical CDs and software. There are many software programs that you’re only supposed to use on one computer! If you want to use it on another computer, you have to buy another copy or license key. You can import CDs onto your ipod, but you can’t copy them or export to a hard drive.

By the way, pricing is determined by cost and overhead. No one is getting rich by cheating or overcharging their customers. We are all struggling just to stay in business. However, if you call for permission to make up an 8x10, I’ll happily give you a release to make up the picture. It would, of course, be more trouble then it’s worth to get me back the negatives or CDs to print one or two pictures! This is about printing up a large quantity for the sole purpose of cheating me out of my livelihood.

Get this: My son plays piano and violin. He had these yearly NYS competitions. He needed to bring in sheet music for the accompanist. The kids are not allowed to make up copies of the music for this purpose. They must all buy another set of sheet music or the accompanist will not play. There was one time that the only place that we could find his music was in the city, and it was quite an ordeal to get the second original set for the accompanist. There are no exceptions to their rules because of the copyright by the publishers of the music.

A writer has his words and that's how he earns his living. An artist his paintings. Musicians their music. And photographers their pictures.

So please understand.