Copyright and infringement seems to be a hot topic lately.  

Do you register copyrights for your work?

ETA: If no, why?

Wow, 11 votes so far and no Yes's.

Because the law does not require registration in order to be enforceable. The only thing that registration *may* impact is the amount awarded in damages during any kind of legal settlement. Since the likelihood of that happening in microstock is pretty much slim to none, I'm guessing few probably are willing to go to the added expense of formal registration.

Quote from: PaulieWalnuts on October 23, 2010, 09:27

Wow, 11 votes so far and no Yes's.

Because the law does not require registration in order to be enforceable. The only thing that registration *may* impact is the amount awarded in damages during any kind of legal settlement. Since the likelihood of that happening in microstock is pretty much slim to none, I'm guessing few probably are willing to go to the added expense of formal registration.

It doesn't require registration to be enforceable but without registration who is going to pursue an infringement when you most likely will lose money in legal fees?

It's my understanding that the extra amount awarded from registration will actually give you a reason pursue and be awarded reasonable damages. And the more word gets around that the average person or company can be hit in the wallet the less infringers there will be.

I don't, but I wonder if it's worth.

I don't know how to do this here in Brazil, to begin with.

In the USA, I know we can send a CD somewhere, it is however a more limited protection than copyrighting each image.

But how will that help me? Only in the USA? Will other countries accept this? I suppose those who signed the TRIPS agreement would. But then, living in Brazil, how would I sue someone abroad?

If we can prove having been the creator of an image, we are already protected, as I understand.  Copyrighting only gives you an extra layer, something that speeds the legal battles. Am I wrong?

Added expense? I registered my first 1500 images for $35. Any amount of images can be registered for $35 (if they price hasn't gone up in the meantime).

Yes, it's a nominal fee to register a completed collection. But as an illustrator who is not churning out generic icon sets, would you recommend that I register each one individually as they are completed?

Quote from: click_click on October 23, 2010, 10:30

Added expense? I registered my first 1500 images for $35. Any amount of images can be registered for $35 (if they price hasn't gone up in the meantime).

Yes, it's a nominal fee to register a completed collection. But as an illustrator who is not churning out generic icon sets, would you recommend that I register each one individually as they are completed?

As a response that makes most sense I'd recommend to collect a number of finished illustrations without publishing them first. Once you have a set of 10,20 or 50 register them and then upload them. Sure it doesn't make sense to register every illustration individually - for microstock that is.

I don't because I'm not a US citizen.

Same here

The US might like to think they alter international law but fortunately for the rest of us they don't.

^^ Thanks. I don't even know if you can 'register' them in the UK: they're copyright the moment you take them.

As I understand, if you register it helps in any legal issue, because you have a proof it is copyrighted.  According to that PACA presentation, it also means more money in a law suit (if I understood it correctly).  I know a photographer who copyrights his images and he won a US$20k case due to that, but then I don't know how much he could have won if he had not registered.

But then, again, as I don't live in the USA and it is unlikely that I will ever sue someone for using an image of mine, it doesn't make much sense to register them.