Copyright and Image Licensing

Under US copyright law (and the Berne Convention internationally), copyright belongs to the creator the moment the shutter clicks—no registration required for ownership, though registration is required to sue for statutory damages. Copyright gives you exclusive rights to reproduce, distribute, display, and create derivative works from your images. When you license an image, you grant specific usage rights while retaining copyright. This is a critical distinction: selling a print grants the buyer the physical object, not the right to reproduce it. A 'work for hire' agreement transfers copyright to the client—avoid this unless compensation is significantly higher.