How to I copyright or protect pictures I took and placed on the web?

[tankman1989]

I have some pics I want to publish but I'd like to reserve the rights of the photo. Does anyone here know the legal aspects of doing this and how I should mark the pictures?

Here is the site if anyone wants to look at it. It's nature shots, very beautiful!
Wooded Water Paradise

[4ycr]

no link, but all I can think you can do it put a watermark on them. As long as you have the original files (even on a dvd) you can prove you took them then that is all that is needed in the UK but don't know about anywhere else.

[Paul Rodgers]

If I remember correctly all creative works in the US automatically gain copyright protection upon creation.

- Put a copyright notice on your website and state that unauthorized reproduction without your written consent is prohibited
- As mentioned above watermarks will work
- Since you are in the US you can utilize the DMCA
- Disable hotlinking to the pictures
- You could utilize flash to make it harder to download the images - there may be an easier way to do that though
- You can find similar images through Google image search - I think there are dedicated websites for this though

Hope this helps.

[Xander]

One word: Steganography

Attached file's password: technibble
Decrypt here.

[Appleby]

To be honest, the minute they hit the web they are out of your control and impossible to keep from being used without your consent. In the US, just taking the photos makes you the copyright holder, however, actually preventing someone from taking them and using them as they please is near impossible.

http://www.photosecrets.com/photography-law-copyright

[rsarceno]

Originally Posted by Appleby

preventing someone from taking them and using them as they please is near impossible.

I don't think it near impossible but it's impossible to protect it. Once the picture is display on your screen, it can be capture and edited.

[Dameize]

If I really wanted to steal them I would screen shot it and then cut the image out and blur the watermark or fill it with a faded colour so you cant see it or at minimum just cant make it out.

[Katfish]

Not sure what backend you use for your website but there are free php, cgi/perl, picture programs you can use. They have many features and about all of them will put watermarks on your photos. The nice thing about using a photo script on your website is the watermarks are put on there automatically. You don't have to worry about marking them all before uploading. Beside that, tons of other features you would probably like. It's been awhile since I've done this type of work and I don't remember the links. But search google for "free php photo album" or similar keywords and see what you can find.

[Appleby]

I'd also look into a script that prevents right-clicks on the photos. That will deter 99% of the people who want to rip off your photos. If they can't right-click and save-as, then they don't know what to do. The rest of us, would just pull them out of the temp files or open them to full resolution and take a screenshot as someone else mentioned.