What rights do professional photographers have in their photos?
Copyright law gives a professional photographer certain exclusive rights, including: . Reproducing the photograph . Preparing other images that are based on the original photograph. . Distribution of copies (whether or not for sale) . Displaying the image publicly If you do any of these things without the copyright owner’s permission, you have probably infringed his or her copyright and you may be subject to civil or criminal liability. Are school photos, pictures with Santa at the mall, or cruise ship portraits copyrighted? Yes. While these kinds of photos are common, professional photographers normally take them as part of their livelihood. Treat these photographs as you would any copyrighted work. If you need permission, contact the photo studio, mall management company or cruise line company for the photographer’s phone number to get a signed release form.
