Copy link to clipboard
Copied
Hi,
Old photographer here. New to Adobe Stock Contributor system. How do copyright your shots? File with the US copyright office? Simply fill out the metadata fields in Photoshop --is that enough? Do neither of these, but add a copyright symbol into your shots somewhere? Does Adobe copyright your shots when you've given them the appropriate release information?
I don't shoot people or buildings --or anything that requires a release, but I want my shots copyrighted. Should I do this, and how? Or does Adobe do this for me?
The Berne convention protects the right of the author without any need of a formal registration of copyright. Your photos are protected from being used in any nation that has adopted the convention, and any breach of that copyright is enforceable internationally. If you suddenly see your photos appearing in magazines without your prior consent, you have the right to sue for copyright infringement.
Copy link to clipboard
Copied
You MUST NOT add text to files you send to Stock. It will be automatically rejected.
Copyright is automatic, by the act of creaton. Most photographers neither add metadata nor do they register, and Adobe certainly do anything. Your shots ARE copyright, just because you took them. Of course keep the originals so you can prove this in a dispute.
Copy link to clipboard
Copied
Thank you. This was the answer I was hoping for. What a relief!
Copy link to clipboard
Copied
The Berne convention protects the right of the author without any need of a formal registration of copyright. Your photos are protected from being used in any nation that has adopted the convention, and any breach of that copyright is enforceable internationally. If you suddenly see your photos appearing in magazines without your prior consent, you have the right to sue for copyright infringement.
Copy link to clipboard
Copied
That said... if you offer your photographs for sale through a stock agency and you see it in a magazine, on a billboard, on a facebook page, or in a million dollar advertising campaign -- you aren't in a position to sue. Adobe do not tell you who licensed your images, so you simply have to assume that the people using it are the ones who paid for it.
Copy link to clipboard
Copied
That is not in dispute. I gave consent when I uploaded to a stock agency.
Copy link to clipboard
Copied
Legend, this brings up a question. Will the end-user know your name? When you buy Adobe Stock, are you in the data the customer receives? For example, if this million-dollar ad campaign decides they'd like to hire you for a special shoot, will they be able to find you?
Copy link to clipboard
Copied
As Contributors, we do not know who licensed our images; similarly Buyers are not provided with any info regarding the Contributors. However, if you use your real name on your Contributor account, and it is a unique name, I suppose they could search for you.
Copy link to clipboard
Copied
Will the end-user know your name?
By @Erin T Evans
No, they will know your pseudo here on stock.
They can google, however, and as google knows all, you can't hide… 😉
EXIF data is not removed, so if you let your EXIF data with contact data, they can see you.
Copy link to clipboard
Copied
Copy link to clipboard
Copied
Should have said, "when they buy."
Copy link to clipboard
Copied
Thank you Jill. I'm sure no million-dollar client will be looking for me, but you never know.
Copy link to clipboard
Copied
And Adobe isn't going to help them to find you, because they are the middleman, setting prices, collecting revenue and giving us 1/3rd of it 😉
Copy link to clipboard
Copied
Adobe Stock DOs & DON'Ts.
https://helpx.adobe.com/stock/contributor/help/editing-dos-and-dont.html
You never see watermarks on images printed on magazines, calendars or t-shirts do you? That's because watermarks are unacceptable for commercial use.
Stock customers come here looking for professional quality images they can license for use in commercial projects like TV/film, marketing materials, posters, menus, merchandise, etc... When you submit to Stock, you're giving permission to use the photos but you're not selling your copyright. And you may submit the same image to other Stock agencies if you wish.
Copy link to clipboard
Copied
Another excellent reply. Thank you Nancy.
Copy link to clipboard
Copied
Any creative act is copyrighted by default. Now and then a creative height is required, a family snapshot of the dog might not fit in. But as a rule, it is very little that is required for copyright protection.
Registering with the copyright office is just a matter of proving that you are the creator.