Misconceptions abound when it comes to copyright of intellectual property, especially photography. Photographers typically think that they automatically own the copyright to their work and thus are protected when their images are used without permission. This sense of security–while based in fact–is somewhat misplaced.

A comprehensive discussion of copyright law is a topic for another time. Suffice to say that there are many reasons why professional photographers (those making a living at photography and want to continue to do so in the future) should copyright their work: One is that the most you can collect for a copyright infringement is the value of the image itself if the image has not been registered with the US Copyright Office. If a registered work is infringed upon, lawyers fees and statutory damages may be collected. Two, having registered work gives the copyright holder protection and leverage when negotiating disputes with publishers of their work. This can help with resolving slow- or non-paying customer issues.

It’s recommended that any photographer copyright their work prior to distribution or publication. Clients who purchase copyright from photographers (the so-called ‘buy-out’) should consider registering the work they own as well. To find out more about why copyright registration is important, check out the explanation posted on the American Society of Media Photographers (ASMP). It’s easy to register electronically at the US Copyright office. Lastly, there’s a great tutorial for photographers on the ASMP site on registering photography work online.