I need to know if anyone has any links to some good websites on copyright protection. As I add photos to my website (particullarly those photos that are sent to me) I want to protect them from cyberthieves who may end up trying to charge me for them! If somebody did that I think I would have to borrow Biff's shotgun!

You are better off seeing if you can set the site so the pictures cant be downloaded. People could still use a capture program to grab the picture..but its better that having them downloadable. A copyright does no good here. People just ignore it and take them anyway.

If I really didnt want anyone to have them..I wouldnt put them on the net.

It's not that I mind people having them - part of the reason they are there is so my cousins can download them. But I don't want Mr. Major corporation dude to copyright them first and tell me i cannot use them unless I pay him! That does happpen. So I want to obtain the copyrights for my own pictures and content. I have put so much work into everything! I want to retain all my rights to it.

I haven't read through this but maybe it will help..

www.gocopyright.com/

Let me know if it does.

That is exactly what I was looking for!!! Thanks Nuccia! I heard that in the next year or so everything on a website will be the property of the website owner but I want to play it safe.

You know, you have a common law copyright in any original work of authorship in a fixed tangible medium, even without registering. However, you should register to enhance your ability to get damages if anyone violated your copyright.

www.copyright.gov/

This is the official site of the US Copyright office.

I did not think that law went into effect yet. Thanks so much. I will check out your link.

Hi, Cathy, the common law I mentioned above is the body of evolving precedents that make up American jurisprudence . . . so unlike a statute, it does not go into effect, it kind of "is"; I am being legal-Zen here. LOL. Take a look at the web site though, because I have not practiced intellectual property in a while and I don't want to make any misrepresentations.

Poipu04 wrote:

Hi, Cathy, the common law I mentioned above is the body of evolving precedents that make up American jurisprudence . . . so unlike a statute, it does not go into effect, it kind of "is"; I am being legal-Zen here. LOL. Take a look at the web site though, because I have not practiced intellectual property in a while and I don't want to make any misrepresentations.

Wow! Sounds like you know a lot! Your avatar is not showing up. You used Image Shack, didn't you?

Hi, Cathy, don't give me too much credit. LOL. But YEARS ago, I had a paper published about copyright law and post-modern art. So maybe some of that is still stuck in the cobwebs in my head. LOL. I think I did use image shack. I can't see avatars at work so I guess I never know the status of it.