Legal issues for Photographers
Copyright law is there to protect you but it is surprising the number of photographers who are not fully aware of the legislation's depth and breadth. As a photographer you need to make yourself aware of what you can and cannot do and, just as importantly, what your clients can and cannot do. At the least ignoring copyright will leave you out of pocket and at worst could result in legal action.
Copyright legislation means that any photographs you produce will be protected by law, preventing unauthorised reproduction of your work and also protecting your clients where you have assigned them copyright for an image.
Copyright means that you have the right to be paid for a third party to reproduce your work and that you have the right to be credited as the author of that work.
If you have taken a professional qualification such as a degree or a college, you would have likely covered copyright. However, if you have found an alternative route into the industry then you need to make sure that you are well aware and familiar with the copyright laws.
More on freelancing as a photographer.
