- This topic has 7 replies, 4 voices, and was last updated 4 years ago by
.
-
Posts
-
Lenspiration to the rescue again! 😀
I’m doing a photoshoot this Saturday with a client who was referred by another client by word of mouth. The people I’m doing the shoot for this week said that the person who referred them mentioned something about there being a ‘copyright’ difficulty when they went to print the photos I took for them before. (Yikes! What a complicated sentence! :D) Here’s what she said:
“Also, she mentioned when she printed Elijah’s pictures there was issue printing them with your name on them. Like a copyright issue. I don’t know if anyone else has had that issue?”
My mother says that she thinks that when my first client went to get the photos printed, because they had my business name on it, the company didn’t want to print them and violate a copyright law? I’d never have thought of that! So interesting. How do other photographers go about this? Because obviously, photographers often (most times) send the photos to their clients with their business name on the corner (I think it’s called a watermark, right?) and customers have no problem printing them out. How is this done?
I don’t want to take my name off the photos, but I also want to make sure she can print them! 😀
Thanks so much in advance! 😀
~ Kina
Wow, that’s a zealous printer! I’ve never heard of a printer turning down an image on copyright grounds. It is fair in a sense however, I guess.
The simple way is to send them an email detailing what prints they’re allowed to make, so if ever there is a an issue they can present the Copy Right they purchased. You could print up the letter yourself and sign it for them if you wanted them to have a harder copy. That’s assuming removing the copyright info and watermarks is out of the question. If you don’t mind removing them, it’s an obvious fix.
I’m a little uncertain on this issue, but there are ways to protect files from printing (and other forms of copying) which basically makes it impossible to print. I doubt your images are protected this way because I doubt one could protect their files that way and not know about it.
From a legal standpoint I would be curious to know wether the printer themselves would be liable for damages when printing the material provided by the customer. I sincerely doubt that. Leaving the burden on the printer to verify copyrights on everything they print is a bit of a stretch imho. That however is besides the point.Thanks @nasa! I know, it’s interesting – I’ve never heard of that either! It is very possible though, I realize, that the copyright issue was something else that I’m not thinking of (as you can see from the sentence above, she wasn’t very clear… “something… issue… like a copyright issue…” Lol. :D) That was just the only thing that my mother and I could think of.
This makes me wonder… how common is it for photographers to give the photos to their clients with their logo on the corner? I guess I’d seen it pretty often so I figured it was fine for me to do that too, but now I’m wondering if clients prefer to not have it on there?? I’m including a sample image with my current ‘watermark, FYI.
Thanks @nasa! I know, it’s interesting – I’ve never heard of that either! It is very possible though, I realize, that the copyright issue was something else that I’m not thinking of (as you can see from the sentence above, she wasn’t very clear… “something… issue… like a copyright issue…” Lol. :D) That was just the only thing that my mother and I could think of.
This makes me wonder… how common is it for photographers to give the photos to their clients with their logo on the corner? I guess I’d seen it pretty often so I figured it was fine for me to do that too, but now I’m wondering if clients prefer to not have it on there?? I’m including a sample image with my current watermark, FYI.
Attachments:
I have noticed when I upload photos to print at Costco, the website says,
“Photographic and digital images are subject to copyright law. In compliance with federal copyright law, Costco will not reproduce a copyrighted photograph taken by a professional photographer without a signed release from that photographer or studio. The release must be signed by both you and the professional or studio who shot the photograph…..”
In addition,
how common is it for photographers to give the photos to their clients with their logo on the corner?
I can’t answer this for sure, but I know for myself, I don’t watermark photos for print. People probably don’t want my name on their family photo hanging on the wall, and I really don’t feel the need to protect myself or advertise that badly. I share my photos with clients in a secure way (I use Pixieset.com), and trust that they’re not sharing my full-sized photos with tons of people.
I watermark photos that are going online, partly for “copyright” purposes, and partly for advertisement.
I’ve run into that issue before @kina! It doesn’t have to be a big deal. Here’s what I normally do.
When delivering photos to a client (whether it’s on a CD, thumbdrive or an online portfolio), I include the attached document (or something similar to it). Then, when the client wants to go get their pictures printed, they can show it to the printer if questioned. In every situation that I have had this happen to me, that release has solved the problem completely.
I do not deliver watermarked photos to my clients, like @bennett-family mentioned. I put a watermark on my image to help protect images I have uploaded online.
- This reply was modified 53 years, 9 months ago by .
Attachments:
Good point, @jamesstaddon!
I also have permission to print included in my contract that I have them sign at the shoot, and they receive a copy of that when I send them their photos.
You must be logged in to reply to this topic.