NOTE: This page is provide for information purposes and is not to be construed as legal advice.
Copyright Basics
When Does Copyright Take Effect? Photographs and other media are protected by copyright from the moment they are shot or fixed. Generally, unless the photo or image is work for hire (taken/created within the scope of employment), the person who takes the photo (or creates the image) owns the copyright. You don't have to register your photos, but doing so allows you to bring an infringement lawsuit in a federal court and sue for certain types of compensation.
Copyright is actually a bundle of rights. It gives owners the exclusive rights to:
Just as with a bundle of sticks, one can break up the bundle and use the individual sticks in different ways. That is also true of rights within copyright. For instance, a photographer may allow someone to download a copy, but not modify that copy or sell it to someone else. Or, the creator may chose to give a non-exclusive right of publication so that image may appear on the licensee's website while the creator may also give or sell the rights of publishing it to someone else at the same time. The creator can also assign any one or more rights, meaning they transfer that right/combo of rights entirely and no longer can exercise a claim nor prefer the particular exclusive action in relation to the image.