In the beginning of the year I wrote, “Have You Created Your 2015 Metadata Copyright Preset?” reminding us to update our copyright information for the New Year. This quick tip made sure we added our copyright information to every photo we imported into Lightroom. Our next step to protect our images is to register them with the Library of Congress. Lightroom makes this final process just as fast and easy.
I thought my images were already protected?
The moment you capture an image, you automatically own the copyright of the image. If someone violates that right by using your image without your consent, you can take legal action. However, you need to register your image before a judge will hear the case. Let me stop for a moment and say I’m not a Lawyer, I am a photographer. I received this information over the years from reliable sources, Jack Reznicki and Ed Greenburg. Ed is a Intellectual Property Lawyer and Jack is commercial photographer and one of the most sought after educators. You can find more information on their blog, The Copyright Zone. For years they have been educating photographers, including myself on copyright issues.
When should I register my images?
There is a small fee of $55.00 to register up to a 500 MB per ZIP file of images. Depending on the types of images you take and how many will determines how often you should batch register your images. If you are part of the media and the images are time sensitive, you should register them immediately. It’s best to register your work before you publish it.
Published images, especially a collection are a little harder to register, but shouldn’t make a difference or deter anyone.
While there is a 500mb limit, you shouldn’t send large files. A small JPEG, 600-800px on the longest side, 72ppi, a JPEG compression of 5 or 6, and then in a zipped folder. So you can get 10,000 images that way.
Lightroom export preset
The Copyright Office does not require a minimum or maximum size of file; a thumbnail that clearly depicts the photograph, such as 600px on the long side. To make life easy, I created a Library of Congress Preset free for Photofocus readers. Use code: pfloc. “It’s Fast and Easy to Install Lightroom Presets” will walk you through installation.
Once installed follow these simple steps:
- Select your images from inside Lightroom.
- Right click on a selected image.
- Click export and select Library of Congress.
- Choose a folder to save the images. I created a folder called 2015Q1-Prepare for-Registration
The selected images are exported to our Prepare for Registration folder with the proper requirements we need. Use your favorite zip program to compress your images. I use WinZip.
3 Steps to Registration
The United States Copyright Office is part of the Library of Congress. You need to complete 3 simple steps to register your photos.
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Payment
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Image deposit
Open a new Case
Login to your account and create a new case. You’ll have 12 sections to complete. Each section only takes a few minutes. Below is an example of my recent submission. As I mentioned earlier, I’m not a lawyer. This example works for me; a photographer living in Florida. It’s best to consult a lawyer in your state and follow The Copyright Zone with Jack and Ed.
Type of Work: Work of Visual Art
Titles:
- Type: Title of work being registered.
- Title of this work: 2015 Q1 The Assassin
Publication/Completion: No
Authors: Add me
Claimants: Add me
Limitation of Claim: Click continue
Rights & Permissions: Add me
Correspondent: Add me
Mail Certificate: Add me
Special Handling: Skip
Certification: Robert Louis Vanelli
Review Submission: Make sure everything is correct
Payment and Upload your Zip file
After you review your submission, the final step is to enter your payment information and upload your zip file. Your images are now in the final stage of being registered.
Extra Resources
- The Copyright Zone: A Legal Guide For Photographers and Artists In The Digital Age
- Lightroom Preset : Library of Congress (enter code:pfloc)
- It’s Fast and Easy to Install Lightroom Presets
- Have You Created Your 2015 Metadata Copyright Preset?
- The Copyright Zone
- United States Copyright Office
*Feature image © tashatuvango / Dollar Photo Club
Vanelli is a photographer, educator and author based in Florida. Currently he shoots for Inside Lacrosse Magazine, teaches workshops, and writes for Photofocus. Click here for a list of Vanelli’s articles.
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Filed under: Opinion, Photography, Technique & Tutorials Tagged: Copyright, Lightroom Preset, Register your photos, The Copyright Zone 
