Morning Star Loc: West coast, North of the 49th N.

Maybe we should also clarify whether we're discussing USA copyright or Canadian copyright.
I'm in Canada. As soon as I commit something to paper or to my computer's hard drive it is copyrighted for my life plus 50 years (or could be 70, will have to look that up again).
I don't have to register it, it will still be my copyright. Proving it will be the difficult part.

BB4A

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Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Can't the image taken date in the metadata be used?
Date created cannot be used because making a copy of the file sets the created date for the copy as the date the copy was made, but it will not alter the taken date. But I suppose taken date may be altered by an EXIF editor.

BB4A

Agreed, and I think you have the right attitude; don’t post anything you consider valuable, unless you are willing to (a) prove via copyright (proof requirements vary around the World) that you do indeed own the original work, and (b) you are willing to fight in an expensive arena (court of law) to win your copyright infringement case.

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

Any image you post on the Internet is UNSAFE.

As a commercial photograher, where my clients are paying me for images that I create for their advertising, I promise them exclusivity in that I will not sell any of those photographs as stock or art. I wish I could post more of my shots for instructional purposes, but I am limited as to what I can put online and remain ethical.

It's funny- some folks will spend all kinds of time removing a watermark or will use a low-resolution image for their purposes rather than pay a few bucks for legitimate usage.

The image that I post are inconsequential and if someone wants to plagiarize them they can have at it.

In 50+ years in the photography business, I took one person to court for copyright infringement and won the case. Believe me, it's not worth the aggravation so I avoid unnecessarily exposing valuable images to such unauthorized use.

This does not mean today you should not watermark your images with a (C)notice of copyright. I will discourage some unauthorized use. You know what they say- locks are for honest people!

BB4A

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Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

The simple answer - an air-gapped computer without online access to your images.

I find watermarks, low resolution versions and other gimmicks senseless distractions/detractions. When I post an image I want it to look as good as it can. If I post an image that I have copyrighted with the US Copyright office, and some corporation or individual with deep pockets nefariously helps themselves to that image, I would strongly consider an infringement lawsuit for monetary recovery. Otherwise, I can't be bothered and won't lose sleep over it.

Thomas902 Loc: Washington DC

"...ways to protect your images from someone stealing them off the internet?" Nalu after a quick review of your UHH posts I would advise you not to quit the day job quite yet...

Are you widely published in magazines with major circulation?
Do you have over 10,000 IG followers?
Most importantly: How many major business entities are in your client list Nalu?

Nalu chill... honestly believe you have absolutely no reason for perceived paranoia...
And like Ed discovered, typically it's not worth the time/effort/expense of pursuing redress...

Best Sincere Advice? Register your images with the US Copyright Agency... Here's how
https://www.copyright.gov/registration/photographs/

My hammer? I shoot identifiable individuals and have a legally signed Model Release to protect both myself and the identifiable individuals in the image(s). That is a very big hammer...

So funny how many think that their imagery has great worth/value...
Yet they still haven't generated any significant revenue from same.

My question to you Nalu is what percentage of your net income (claimed on your IRS returns) is generated from your licensing of your imagery for commercial use? If it is over 50% then you might claim you're a professional photographer. Good for you! However from the query you just made in this post, I'm thinking maybe you are still just beginning your journey...

Wishing you all the best on your journey Nalu...
Have you considered joining the PPA or the ASMC?
Cheers! Thomas

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

I think conflating copyright ownership with privacy releases may be confusing. One really has nothing to do with the other.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

MDI Mainer

Except that (assuming a properly structured model release) someone who misappropriates for commercial gain the photographer's copyright in an image of an identifiable person will also, depending on state law, violate that person's right against unauthorized commercial exploitation of his or her likeness.

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

Weh I was a kid, my parents and grandparents encouraged me to become a doctor, a LAWYER, to a plumber. All based on the assumption that those folks charge lots of money! Furter to that, grandma insisted that if I did not go to college and become a professional, I would end up as a "garbage man"! My choice of goi int photographer did not go over very well but I did not listen!

So, I became a professional photograher. The lie is funny. I ended up doing all the plumbing in at least 5 darkrooms and a colour lab in my studio. I made the mist of telling my family that I had some para-medical train in the army so every time one of the kids ran a fever or regretted it, I go an emergency call. I had to tell them I do gunshot wounds, profuse bleeding, I can tie off a major artery, but I don't do vomit! All to no avail- they still call me instead of the doctor or 911.

I am certainly not a LAWYER but I have endless supplies of contract forms, model releases, property releases, and government information on the domestic and international copyright acts. My legal training consist of a high school commercial law course and a book entitle Photograph and the Law. ph It's enough to drive me nuts. Frankly speaking, if you are not, it's fairly simple. Photograher is considered unique works and had intrinsic copyright which o can calm and mark your work accordingly. in the business of photography. If your work is of commercial or significant artistic value you can register it with the copyright office in your country and have writer and legal documentation in the event of a breach where you need to enforce your right through court action.

If you are a professional or seriously pursuing selling your images commercially or as art, it is wise to affiliate yourself with P.P.of A or the A.S.M.P. The organization has a plethora of informal copyright and other
legalities. The P.P. of A. has various insurance and indemnity policy programmes as well.

We live in a litigious society- seems everyone is suing everyone else and privacy and other restrictive laws have gone crazy. it's goon get to the point where you can photograph the Statu of Liberty because she has an expectation of privacy and someone holds a copyright on the Brooklyn Bridge and you need to pay a royalty to shoot it or sell a picture of it. Don't mind me- I lie to use hyperbole sometimes! Serious folks, If you have important questions about the law ask a LAWYER, not a photograher. Familiarize yourself with all the laws that pertain to model and property releases and don't confuse them with copyright issues. I worry more about photograher ending up on the nasty end of a lawsuit rather than photographers having to sue to protect or recover ther rights.

Oh, about the things about becoming a "garbage man". well, nowadays their hourly rate may exceed that of many photographers and what's worse is every day just before I leave the house, I hear "Dear, don't forget to put out the garbage"! And when I come home it's "Dear, did you put the recycling in the right bins"! This is what I get for not listening to my elders!

Harry0 Loc: Gardena, Cal

1 Some folk use steganography. You could hide a full copyright notice. More than one place.
2 I used to know some artists. One woman would swirl her signature in the painting.
Clouds, tree bark, etc.Some would be harder to find if you didn't know.
Another liked water scapes. Somewhere there'd be a small person fishing and a copyright symbol and a number would be by her. You'd have to get close to read it.
For me, I start with the camera. The EXIF would have my name and copyright notice. It's a start.
https://www.codeproject.com/tips/602614/embed-messages-in-images-the-easy-way

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

I thought of changing the image at the pixel level, adding a "signature" at the pixel level.
But no one has made a program yet that will accommodate that at the pixel level, say starting at an X,Y coordinate in the image (like always at a same coordinate like 2000,3000 from the top or bottom left.) No one would ever see it unless they reviewed the entire image at the pixel level, but I would know where to look.

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

My approach to posting images on the web is simple. I don't care whether or not the images I post are picked up and used by someone else. When I started using Flickr, I put a Creative Commons "restriction" on my images allowing others to use them for noncommercial purposes or for commercial purposes with attribution. Eventually after having a few requests to use the photos for a publication or some other commercial venture I just decided it wasn't worth the hassle. If they don't ask, I'll never know. If I don't know, it doesn't bother me.

I can't say I have ever been a commercial photographer, although I probably made a few bucks when I was a kid developing and printing photos for people, and I got paid a small sum for a set of photos for a real estate sale, but if someone likes my photos in spite of my obvious lack of talent, they are free to do whatever they like with them.