What is copyright?
Copyright is the right of an author of a creative work to prevent others from copying the work, or reusing part or all of the original work in a derivative work. Copyright can cover almost any creative expression including a book, photograph, artwork, writing, or recording. After a period of time, copyrights revert to the public domain. The period for which a work remains under copyright varies from country to country.
Copyright is a person’s exclusive economic right to use and exploit his own creative and artistic productions. Its duration depends primarily on the laws of the country in which that person lives. It may be accompanied by moral rights such as the right to be properly credited for one’s works. A work whose copyright has expired is said to be in the public domain.
Copyright gives the owner the right to copy, distribute, publicly display or create derivative works from the original work. A copyright also gives its owner the right to license those rights to others. • Is my image is protected by copyright law? Photographs, like other copyright-protected works, are protected by U.S. Copyright Law from the moment they are “fixed.” When the shutter snaps and captures an image as a film negative or digital media file, that photograph becomes a copyright-protected work of the photographer or his/her studio. Copyright protection (on the majority of photographs) lasts the life of the photographer plus 70 years. If you have any questions about whether or not your image can be copied, you can always contact the PPA Call Center at 1-800-786-6277.
