Tips on protecting your images/ photos

Even with the existence of Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines (RA8293), many photographers still are victims of copyright infringement. And the poor photographer can’t even sue the infringers (because of the money involved in pursuing the case) against corporations and publishing houses – which are more moneyed than the photographers themselves. The photographer can’t help but gnash their teeth in disbelief.

Meanwhile, here are some tips to deter infringers from using your images:

Read the fine print
This is usually taken for granted. Too often we find ourselves caught in some nasty surprise by not reading the terms and conditions. So, before uploading any images, read the fine print of that particular site offering a free on-line gallery service. So, don’t rush into clicking that ‘accept’ button.

Avoid ‘Manipulative’ Photo Contests
If you can, avoid photo competitions which are ‘manipulative’ (Yes, we have many of these here in the Philippines, contrary to the contests being organized abroad). I say manipulative because often, the rules/contest mechanics are obviously pro-organizers. Sometimes, I can’t help but wonder if those photo contests was organized to just collect photos from photographers. Ironically, this has been going on for quite sometime. So, as much as possible, select the competition you enter where, even if you win, you still retain the ownership over the copyright of the image. Read the contest mechanics carefully.

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