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Robin Campos

9 Years Ago

How Do I Copyright Register All My Artwork?

I know I can register for a copyright of batch of work within the year they were created, what about being able to copyright all my work in the past 15 years all at once? Say I have 10,000 photographs, 500 drawings, 300 paintings all created in say 15 years or more. What then, do I have to apply for a copyright for it all, or can it be connected to my name / business name. This could be pricy and tedious.

Having your own website with a notice stating all work is copyright, or eve the © symbol doesn’t help nor protect you when are asked to prove it. Mailing a copy of the work isn’t considered registered.

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Jeffrey Campbell

9 Years Ago

Peter,

I copyrighted work from previous years online (batched) for $35. I've heard it changed recently to $50. I believe (?) the batch can consist of up to 200 mb. What I did was took screen shots from my AW site, which ended up being very small thumbnails. No issues at all. I received my certificate in 90 days. Yes, I connected it to both my name and business name when filling out the application.

By registering you are protected for 'statutory' damages up to $150k. Unregistered are only protected for 'actual' damages, i.e., peanuts after attorney fees.

To add: When/if an attorney asks you to prove you have registered copyrights, simply provide the alpha-numeric number on the cert. The attorney can look up the number on the website. No need to copy and send your cert to them.

 

Rudy Umans

9 Years Ago

In order to be protected for statutory damages as opposed to just the absolute value, the work has to be registered within 3 months of first publication. After that, you can still register for proof of being the original creator.

 

Jeffrey Campbell

9 Years Ago

To claim statutory damages or attorney’s fees in a copyright infringement lawsuit, a work must be registered before the infringement began or within
three months after the first publication of the work.
See 17 U.S.C. §§ 412(c), 504, 505

Source: United States Copyright Office, Compendium of U.S. Copyright Practices, Third Edition, Aug 19, 2014.

 

Melissa Bittinger

9 Years Ago

Funny because I was going to ask a similar question soon, good timing Peter :o))

So to file online, do you have to make a zipped folder or....? I don't know how to 'zip' a folder. Was each image a separate file? Or did you screenshot a whole page of images as a file??

 

Jeffrey Campbell

9 Years Ago

Separate images when I did it. Each image was required to have a name. Thinking back, from start to finish took me under two for the entire process, after I made all the screen captures.

 

Melissa Bittinger

9 Years Ago

Okay, so then all the pics go in a folder and......then what do you do with the folder!?

 

Melissa Bittinger

9 Years Ago

Also, I already have screenshots of everything but most have a watermark. Do you think that would matter? Would or should I remove the watermark on them for this?

 

Jeffrey Campbell

9 Years Ago

To be safe from rejection I would go with no watermarks, but I honestly do not know. Err to the side of caution, I always say.

There will be a page with (appx) 50 single line entries. Each photo is uploaded and will receive it own individual line entry. This is also where you will name it. Once done with the page you will submit. Rinse and repeat. All this assuming things have not changed since February.

Go to the website, you can start and save/return at any time.

 

Jeffrey Campbell

9 Years Ago

Now that I think about it, someone here submitted a very detailed screenshot of the entire process. You might start searching to see if you can find it. I do not recall the gentleman's name, but it was sometime after May 2014.

 

Melissa Bittinger

9 Years Ago

Fabulous, thanks, whew no zipping required, lol! I've been dreading figuring out the process. I can remove the watermarks with no problem I think. If not, I'll just redo them. This makes me feel sooo much better. Thank you Jeffrey!

 

Melissa Bittinger

9 Years Ago

Does this look like the right info? The fee is now $65 if I'm reading this correctly.

Form GR/PPh/CON (published photographs) (up to 750 published photographs can be identified on form GR/PPh/CON with a single filing fee)


Edit: Wait, or it could be this option for $55

Online registration of groups of published photographs (pilot program, see sl-39)

 

Rudy Umans

9 Years Ago

Whatever comes first Jeffrey.

 

Jeffrey Campbell

9 Years Ago

Do you go to the .gov website, Melissa?

http://copyright.gov/eco/

 

Melissa Bittinger

9 Years Ago

yeah, I've been poking around...not quite understanding. It says to register, then pay, then upload...so maybe it will be clearer once the options show, I hope...

 

Rudy Umans

9 Years Ago

this is an easy to understand summary:"Copyright Basics" http://copyright.gov/circs/circ1.pdf

The whole thing is circular 92 (USC 17) but that is 399 pages.

 

Jeffrey Campbell

9 Years Ago

I believe that is the order I was presented, too, Melissa.

 

Melissa Bittinger

9 Years Ago

Jeffrey, did you have to call first? This info is on the link Rudy just shared:

Online submissions of groups of published photographs
and automated databases consisting predominantly of
photographs may be permitted if the applicant first calls
the Visual Arts Division (202) 707-8202) for approval and
special instructions. See the Copyright Office website at
www.copyright.gov for further information. To access eCO,
go to the Copyright Office website and click on electronic
Copyright Offi

 

Jeffrey Campbell

9 Years Ago

No, I did not have to call. But, again, I did mine in February and things may have changed.

 

Melissa Bittinger

9 Years Ago

Think I'll get the files ready this weekend and maybe call monday.

 

Robin Campos

9 Years Ago

Thanks Jeffrey, Melissa, and Rudy for chiming in with good info and good questions. This is something I have been needing to update since my first time back in 2004 when I first started with only photography.
I'll check in tomorrow some time to view more contributions.

 

Hi Peter,
From what I read, copyrights are separated in published works vs unpublished works. I believe (& you should look into it) that you can send in a group of "unpublished" works. It's possible that because your artwork is listed for sale and has sold on FAA that your art would be considered "published" which I think it could mean that you would have to copyright each separately. Let me know what you find, I would be interested. Good Luck :)

 

Great information here........ Maria Brophy is awesome!!! She has such great insight in all matters ART....... Here's the information on copyrights...

http://mariabrophy.com/business-of-art/how-to-file-your-copyrights-and-keep-track-of-them.html

 

K L Kingston

9 Years Ago

Thanks Melinda for the link, very helpful.

Yes, I find it as confusing as the next person.

If you sold a print of the image, then it would be considered "Published," correct?
If you purchased your own print of the image (like cards for example), is that also considered "Published"?
Are any of our posted images here on FAA considered "Published" or only when we make a sale?

Thanks for the clarity!

 

Robin Campos

9 Years Ago

Thank you Melinda for your info and the link. K L I agree so far that It is a confusing process to figure out, like since I have them in folders on FAA, Pixels, AW......, can they be considered "groups"?
Melinda, on the link you posted had a sub-link at the bottom about sketching concepts...... for clients and it was stated that we own the copyright of the concept.
That now opens another can of worms. I now have to register my concept sketches every year from now on also. $$$$$$$$$$$$ is all I hear now.

 

Bradford Martin

9 Years Ago

I still don't understand what the definition of published is. I had always thought if Ii posted it on the internet it is published. Someone said if it is just on FAA it is not published. What about Facebook or Twitter? Or my blog. At any rate most of my work here has been licensed . Surely that counts. i thought i had a clear notion of now it works and now i don't. If I could register what has already been published I might do it. Especially if all I had to do was to link to here and or my stock site.

 

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