Copyright © and what you need to know...
Purchasing prints of a photo, CD or DVD from a professional photographer or studio does not transfer the copyright of the photo to you, even if the photo is of you or your family and the photo cannot be reporduced without a written release from the photographer or studio.
You can be personally liable for copyright infringement even if you do not intend to break the law. Good intentions are not a defense for copyright infringement.
Copyright law protects photographs even if the photographer has not obtained a copyright registration and een if the photograph is published without a copyright notice.
Copyright law gives a professional photographer certain exclusive rights, including the right to:
- - Reprint the photograph
- - Create modified images based on the photographers choice
- - Sell reprints of the photograph
- - Display the image publicly
Making a few changes to a professional photographers photograph does not remove copyright protection or make the modified photograph free for your use.
Just because a photograph is on the internet does NOT mean it is in the public domain and it is a violation of US & International copyright laws to copy, modify, sell or print any of these photos.
All photos on this website are © Marisa Oldham Photography 2008