Those of you who sell (or give away) your work; what do you write on your prints or slides or cd's (?) to protect your copyright? And why do you use your particuar wording?

Thanks for your time.

-- Hans Berkhout (berkhout@cadvision.com), March 30, 2002

Answers

Hans go to these sites in the order given read the info there. If you have futher questions consult an attorney never never rely on information you get off a forum.

#1. http://www.pacaoffice.org/paca 1c.html

#2. http://www.tempeleton.com/brad/copymiths.html

-- Alfred Henry (J Henry@provide.net), March 30, 2002.

I use permanent stick-on labels on the back side of prints, while others use rubber stamps with special inks. The wording I use follows the form of: "Copyright © [year], Ralph Barker - All rights reserved, no duplication authorized. [my phone number]". The intention of the wording is to let customers know they don't have the right to make copies of the prints I've supplied, and to (hopefully) disuade labs or copy shops from making duplicates for them. We do, however, live in a Napster-mentality age in which few people actually respect copyright, so the effectiveness of the wording is questionable.

Detailed information about copyright in the United States is available on the Library of Congress, Copyright Office site, and various other locations. Note that copyright laws differ between countries, so the admonition to consult your attorney is good advice.

-- Ralph Barker (rbarker@pacbell.net), March 30, 2002.