Copyright Protection and Resources
NPPA supports strong protections for photographers’ intellectual property rights and opposes measures that would limit those rights. The NPPA also provides resources to help visual journalists protect their copyright.
We believe that any orphan works legislation to limit photographers’ rights must include specific and comprehensive requirements for an exhaustive search for the owner of a work – particularly given the fact that many photographs are transmitted without identifying metadata. Any new legislation should protect photographers’ rights to obtain full compensation, attorney’s fees, and statutory damages, for any unauthorized use of a work, and to enjoin unauthorized uses while also making the legal process for enforcing those rights more affordable and accessible. We encourage all visual journalists to register their work with the U.S Copyright Office in order to take full advantage of the protections provided by the Copyright Act.
- NPPA's official comments to the Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator from March 22, 2010.
- (PDF, 116 KB)
- Sample Cease & Desist letter
- (PDF, 56 KB)
- Important Notice: This is a sample form for illustrative purposes. This sample may not be suitable for your particular circumstances and different agreements or legal arrangements may be necessary depending on your jurisdiction. Therefore, you should not use this sample, or any part, without the advice of competent legal counsel.
- Two Easy Steps for Using the DMCA Takedown Notice to Combat Copyright Infringement
- Article by attorney Carolyn Wright, explaining how to use the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) for visual journalists whose copyrights have been infringed online.
NPPA Marketplace
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