Most people can recognize that stealing is wrong. We are told at a young age that taking things that don’t belong to you is wrong and can have consequences. It’s easy to determine what does or doesn’t belong to an individual when talking about physical items, such as a car, a laptop, etc. But, that line gets a little bit blurrier when talking about things that are not confined to physical laws, such as an idea or rights. Luckily, there are laws put in place to protect ideas, images, or rights from being taken.
Copyright laws help protect the rights of the creator or artist. When speaking about photography, copyright protects the image from unlawfully being copied. Our printing services company in New York City share some things you should know about copyright law.
Important things to know about copyright:
- Purchasing the print of an image is different than purchasing the copy. This is especially prevalent in photography and art. Many artists will sell prints of an image, even though the copy and artistry of the image still belong to the artist. If you buy a print, you do not have the right to make copies of that print and sell them.
- Photographs are protected by copyright the moment that they are created. This right is protected under the Federal Copyright Act of 1976. A photographer can easily create over 2,000 pieces of intellectual property each year.
- Even a small infringement can have devastating effects. Many people think that copyright is only violated when the violator attempts to sell the image unlawfully. However, simply copying an image is an infraction, even if you were only doing it for personal use. Copying an image can result in civil and criminal penalties.
Our New York City printing services company is fully aware of copyright laws concerning imagery and photographs. To learn more, contact us today and speak with a member of our team.