Adding Copyright Info to images

MG
Posted By
Matt_Greek
Dec 6, 2006
Views
770
Replies
24
Status
Closed
I’m using Photoshop CS2 for Windows. I want to post my photos on my website but I want to put something to the effect of ‘Copyright 2006 Matt Greek’ in the lower right hand corner of the photo. I don’t want to have to go through and open every single one, is there a way to batch do this? The files that I’m using are Nikon RAW. Thanks!

How to Master Sharpening in Photoshop

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GD
george_dingwall
Dec 6, 2006
Hi Matt,

I have a script on my site that adds copyright to the bottom left of the image. It Does it in proportion to the image size, and the image needs to be at 72 PPI. You can find it here;

<http://www.georgedingwall.co.uk/downloads/Text2.jsx>

You’ll need to edit it to suit your needs.

To replace my copyright details with your own, simply change the text in quotes to your own;

var comment = "George Dingwall © " // Enter your text here

To make the text appear in the bottom right edit this line to change the "2" to "95".

var hOffset = 2 // hor. offset in % (1 is left, 100 is right)

Hope this helps.
Y
YrbkMgr
Dec 6, 2006
But if you would like to create an action instead of using a script, consider the following.

Record all of the following steps:

* Type your text anywhere in the image, making it size appropriate, and confirm the text.

* Select|All

* Layer|Align Layers to Selection|Bottom Edges

* Layer|Align Layers to Selection|Right Edges

* Use your Arrow keys to nudge up and left a bit

* Deselect

This method uses the often overlooked feature of Align Layers to Selection. Just like Georges script however, you must be cognizant of image resolution (ppi) since 12 point text will appear differently on a 300 ppi image than it will on a 72 ppi image.

Once it’s an action, you can run that in batch on an entire folder of images, if you so desire.

Peace,
Tony
JO
Jim_Oblak
Dec 6, 2006
Copyright 2006 Matt Greek

"Who is Matt Greek?"

This is what someone will say when they see your image if it has been looted from your site and displayed elsewhere.

It helps to have a watermark of your web address.
Y
YrbkMgr
Dec 7, 2006
Unless he’s just printing proofs and they aren’t destined for web…
JO
Jim_Oblak
Dec 7, 2006
I’m not sure what you mean.

You want contact info on your photos whether they appear online or in a printed proof. Printed proofs usually have contact info on their back.

Placing the copyright notice on the image deters others from making money on your work. Placing contact info on the image helps customers find you. Its all part of the package.
Y
YrbkMgr
Dec 7, 2006
My only point Jim, was that while it is probably reasonable to presume that everyone has a website, the OP may not. Putting WWW information may not be applicable. In addition, I’m not convinced that the presumption that they are used for clients to buy is necessarily sound. We don’t know how his images are to be used, who he’s giving them to, or anything really, that would lead one to the conclusion that he should put "contact me" text on the images.

<http://img392.imageshack.us/img392/5215/shrughz1.gif>
JO
Jim_Oblak
Dec 7, 2006
Aha, I understand. You probably missed this:

I want to post my photos on my website

A copyright owner wants to be found so that they can either investigate possible violations of their copyright or license additional copies of their work.

You cannot retain a copyright if you do not identify who you are. You would never see a copyright that says ‘copyright 2006 somebody other than you’. One should identify themselves in their copyright as best as they can. Matt Greek is not unique. There are probably other Matt Greeks out there that could claim ownership of his art.
Y
YrbkMgr
Dec 8, 2006
You probably missed this:

Actually, you are correct. I did miss that. Sorry, I’m a dumbass.

You cannot retain a copyright if you do not identify who you are.

Sorry to be argumentative, but you sure can. Those rules changed in 1976. There is NO requirement to identify yourself. If your kid draws a picture, it is protected by copyright. A dated negative is all a photographer would need for proof of copyright.

And even prior to 1976, there were only three rules for identifying work protected by copyright. The date, the (c) symbol, and the copyright holders name.

You would never see a copyright that says ‘copyright 2006 somebody other than you’

Sure you would. In works of collaboration or compendiums.

But maybe this is picking gnat poop out of pepper. Your advice to the OP is still quite sound, although I would have erred on the side of "it’s his business".
MD
Michael_D_Sullivan
Dec 8, 2006
Actually, the (c) symbol was inadequate under the old law; you needed to use either the word "Copyright" or the copyright symbol, ©.
JO
Jim_Oblak
Dec 8, 2006
You cannot retain a copyright if you do not identify who you are.

Sorry to be argumentative, but you sure can.

Legally you are correct but practically there is little point in posting any copyright info if you do not give the average person a method to contact you to acquire a right to copy or notify you in the event that someone else has violated licensing. Legal issues only appear after there has been a violation of copyright. It is in everyone’s interest to prevent a legal dispute.

How does the anonymous (or less known) artist retain their copyright if no one knows how to reach them to report a violation? In that respect, you cannot retain a copyright if you do not identify who you are.
Y
YrbkMgr
Dec 8, 2006
Well, I disagree since you say that one doesn’t retain a copyright if you don’t identify who you are. Yes, you do. As far as there being "little point", if you are surfing and find one of your copyrighted works being used without your permission, you can take action (usually a cease and desist), if you desire, and you are within your rights to do so.

How does the anonymous (or less known) artist retain their copyright if no one knows how to reach them

That doesn’t affect who has ownership. At best, it may limit the extent to which it is actionable for damages.

But still, your advice is quite sound as it relates to the OP.
JO
Jim_Oblak
Dec 8, 2006
if you are surfing and find one of your copyrighted works being used without your permission, you can take action

This is where this logic falls apart whether in regard to the OP or in general. An artist cannot spend their time searching every media outlet to police their own copyright.

Slapping a copyright symbol on your work is not a magic shield to protect your work.

I could steal all kinds of images that has Matt Greek’s name on them but no one could report me to him because they do not know how to reach him.
Y
YrbkMgr
Dec 9, 2006
But the point is Jim, that does not change your rights as a copyright holder. It only changes the mechanism of enforcement. If I make copies of Mickey Mouse, just because I don’t know how to reach Disney does not absolve me of culpability for infringement.
RK
Rob_Keijzer
Dec 9, 2006
According to the law, the work itself is all you need. You do not need a copyright symbol. You only have to prove that it is yours, and that you created it before whoever else is using it.

That’s very true. Tony’s description is also legally sufficient, in spite of it being perfectly clear and marvelously compact. 🙂

Rob
JO
Jim_Oblak
Dec 9, 2006
he has the right to ask you to stop using them

How can he ask me if no one can contact him to tell him that I stole them?!!!

I never said that leaving your contact info off of an image changes your rights. It only affects your ability to make use of your rights. Please explain how Matt Greek becomes a plaintiff if no one can alert him to the fact that he needs to be one. We are not thinking this through to the legal recourse level.

It is true that you do not need to slap your name on anything – – – but if you want to be alerted when someone finds an abuse of your copyright, you would be foolish to hide in anonymity.

You can claim a copyright and be guaranteed all benefits under law but you cannot make full use of that protection if no one is able to tell you that you need to be a plaintiff to defend it. Disney does not need to identify itself further since it is so well known and any child knows that they can go to most any retailer to obtain a licensed copy of Disney’s work.

You are correct in everything you have posted in regard to rights. I am simply pointing out that it is good to ensure that you can take advantage of your rights if they are threatened.

If copyrights were as simple as you suggest, we would not have DRM. 🙂
Y
YrbkMgr
Dec 9, 2006
How can he ask me if no one can contact him to tell him that I stole them?!!!

Are you suggesting that it is required for someone to notify you?

You can claim a copyright and be guaranteed all benefits under law but you cannot make full use of that protection if no one is able to tell you that you need to be a plaintiff to defend it.

Why are you hung up on the notion of someone having to notify me? How about the case where I discover my work being used on my own? How about the case where someone publishes a book with your work in it?

See Jim, if I write a poem, and if I put copyright information at the bottom, that does not prevent anyone from using my poem, omitting the copyright information, and publishing it in their own book of poems. Your position is that someone has to notify me that my work has been stolen. How then, can someone notify me that my poem was stolen if my poem was plagiarized? Isn’t it true that if I discover it, by whatever means, in this case because I have an interest in poetry and happened to see the book at the bookstore, that the presence or absence of contact information was moot?

If copyrights were as simple as you suggest, we would not have DRM.

Again, not true. The reason we have DRM is due to non-compliance of copyright. And I am not suggeting that copyright is simple – far from it. What I’m saying is that the position you take, in as much as having contact information available in "work" is necessary, in ANY scenario, is simply flawed.

Please explain how Matt Greek becomes a plaintiff if no one can alert him to the fact that he needs to be one.

Because Matt Greek is in control of his distribution and depending on that distribution he can discover violation of copyright on his own.

With that in mind, I don’t have any statistics to back it up, but I would bet that more people discover violations on their own rather than being tattled on. When I come across material, even if copyright information and contact information is on it, I assume that the user of the material has obtained the necessary copyright permission. And especially if copyright and contact information is on it, I am not going to go to any further lengths to verify that that user obtained permission – it would be assumed.

And in that scenario, again, it would be up to the creator of the work to discover his or her work is being used in violation of copyright.
JO
Jim_Oblak
Dec 9, 2006
Are you suggesting that it is required for someone to notify you? …Your position is that someone has to notify me that my work has been stolen

My position is that someone has to can (if they are willing to) notify me that my work has been stolen.

No one is required to do anything but you enhance your ability to recover damages if those kind third parties that spot copyright violations can reach you to make you aware of the violation.

There is a daycare near me that has Disney characters painted on their exterior wall. The artwork is terribly drawn and clearly not licensed by Disney. Since I know who Disney is, I can contact them to alert them to the copyright violation. I have had others contact me to alert me to my own art being misused. (In all honesty, I am less prone to report that daycare to Disney for copyright violations than for a way to remove the ugliness on their wall)

Because Matt Greek is in control of his distribution and depending on that distribution he can discover violation of copyright on his own.

No one is ever in control of their images once they place them online. Someone else can take them and use them on their site. It is not legal according to copyright, but it is possible – – so we need to think outside of the confines of the ideal copyright law.

Unless he uses digimarc, he has no way of knowing what happens with his images after he places them online.

If I go to photosbybob.com and see a photo with a copyright by Matt Greek, I might think "I like the photo. It’s too bad it got ripped off from some fella named Matt Greek". If that same stolen photo had Matt’s web address too, I might think "I like the photo. I know where to purchase a copy of it or discover similar work". Isn’t that why artists put their work online? If we did not want to promote ourselves, we would not have web sites.

This is why I entered this thread by saying ‘It helps…’. It is not required.

You have my respect as well but as entertaining as this debate has been, I have to duck out now as I think I have beaten this dead horse long enough. 🙂
GD
george_dingwall
Dec 9, 2006
Hi there,

Just a fleeting thought. Wouldn’t anyone intent on stealing an image with copyright details on it simply remove the offending information by cloning it out?

Bye for now.
Y
YrbkMgr
Dec 10, 2006
Yeah Jim, let’s just leave at the idea that we different perceptions of the priorities.

<tips hat>
RK
Rob_Keijzer
Dec 10, 2006
Wouldn’t anyone intent on stealing an image with copyright details on it simply remove the offending information by cloning it out?

And then what? become the owner?

Copyright notices are just reminders, not protectors. Someone cloning it out is even more informed, i.d say.

Your work is NOT protected by copyright signs.
Your work is ALWAYS protected.

Rob
JJ
John Joslin
Dec 10, 2006
Just make your work so strikingly original that it is unmistakably yours!

Peter Beard < http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/images/3822826065/ref=dp_ otherviews_1/203-9914347-5874320?ie=UTF8&s=books&img =1>
JO
Jim_Oblak
Dec 10, 2006
Try cropping or cloning the example here:

<http://www.creativepro.com/story/howto/23894.html>

🙂
Y
YrbkMgr
Dec 10, 2006
Funny, there’s no contact information in that example…<grin>
JO
Jim_Oblak
Dec 10, 2006
Did we miss the voxbox?

The link above was not intended to resume a tired discussion. It was to demonstrate a watermarking method that is futile to defeat with cloning or cropping.

How to Master Sharpening in Photoshop

Give your photos a professional finish with sharpening in Photoshop. Learn to enhance details, create contrast, and prepare your images for print, web, and social media.

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