Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2005/04/28
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]At 02:50 PM 4/28/2005, Don Dory wrote: >Brad, >If you have registered the image with the copyright folks in Washington >this is your lucky day, the bidding starts at a few hundred thousand >dollars. On the other hand, if have not registered, all you can do is >write a nastygram and ask that they pay you some nominal sum that works >out to a normal fee. Again, this is assuming that it was published in a >commercial venture and not in a not for profit publication or pamphlet. > >If it was the local newspaper or some other upstanding publication then >you might get somewhere in small claims court. In the US, copyright is implied, and owned by the photographer, the moment the photograph is taken, assuming no work-for-hire agreement has been signed. Without further registration, it's worth $2500 as a minimum, if taken to court. If registered, the sky is the limit, depending upon the infringer and circumstances. But for a really small fry, a personal reprimand making them aware of what could happen, and some nominal negotiated fee will make them think twice about doing it again. JB