Photographers often submit photos to publishers for inclusion in a book or magazine. But what happens to the copyright for that photo? Does it transfer to the publisher? What is the publisher allowed to do with the copyright?

Unless the copyright to a photo is specifically transferred in total to a publisher, the publisher's use of that photo is limited by the usage agreement. The publisher, however, creates a new copyright, called a "collective work," when your photo is combined with other photos, text, illustrations, etc. Your photo then is covered by two copyrights - one for the photo itself, and the other as part of a collective work.

As the owner of the copyright to a collective work, the publisher may reproduce and distribute your contribution as part of that particular collective work, but not as a separate item. The publisher also may distribute any "revision" of that collective work and any later collective work in the same series. "Revision" also is thought to be a new "version," which still is considered to be one work.

Revision became an issue with some photographers who had contributed work for National Geographic magazine. There, National Geographic distributed via CDs previously published magazine issues almost exactly as they appeared in print, except that National Geographic added a search engine and index. The photographers argued it was a new use of their images and wanted to be paid for it. National Geographic argued that the CDs were a revision of the collective work (the magazines) so that the usage was included in the initial grant. Because the photographers were located in different parts of the United States, they filed their lawsuits in separate courts and both cases were appealed. While the reasons why aren't covered here, in sum, the 2nd and 11th Circuit Court of Appeals came to different conclusions about whether the CDs were a revision or a new product. This inconsistency in the law will have to be resolved later.

While hindsight is 20-20, we can learn from this experience that the best way to protect your copyrights is to be as specific as possible when granting usage rights. If you don't want your photos used for certain purposes, say so. But if your agreement doesn't address a usage, a court that might not agree with your position just may be the one that determines your rights.

Take my advice; get professional help.

PhotoAttorney

Copyright 2005 Carolyn E. Wright All Rights Reserved

Carolyn Wright

Carolyn Wright is a professional photographer with an active wildlife photography business. Shooting for 25 years, her award-winning images have been used in books and corporate marketing materials. Her wildlife photos will be included in the upcoming book, "Captivating Wildlife - Images from the Top Ten Emerging Wildlife Photographers" by Scott Bourne and David Middleton. She also is working with Scott Bourne on "Wolfscapes," a photo book documenting the beauty and strength of wolves. Carolyn shares her love for photography with her enthusiasm for the law. Trained as a top-flight attorney, Carolyn's legal practice is aimed squarely at the needs for photographers. She understands the special issues that confront both professional and amateur photographers, and she regularly speaks and writes on the subject. Her book, "88 Secrets to the Law for Photographers," also co-written with Scott Bourne, is scheduled for release in fall 2005. On the faculty of Olympic Mountain School of Photography, Carolyn?s passion is enhanced when teaching photography. She enjoys writing and speaking on the subject, as well, and is a regular columnist for PhotoFocus, an online magazine for serious photographers. Carolyn is particularly tuned to the special interests of women in photography. She appreciates women's unique approach to the subject, and adapts her instruction accordingly. Armed with more than 20 years of general business experience and a Masters of Business Administration degree, she understands what is needed to succeed in male-dominated fields. This knowledge, combined with her training and experience as a teacher at all levels from grade school to graduate school, provides the strong foundation she uses to help others with their photography. Carolyn can be contacted at 2107 N. Decatur Rd. #117, Decatur, GA 30033 or by phone at 678.592.8025.