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[angela]

I am an amateur photographer and have posted many of my photos online for my acquaintances to view, always with a "tag" of my email address clearly displayed in the middle of the photo.  Recently I have discovered a person online who has been editing my photographs (as well as those of others) to remove the tags and claim them as her own.  I don't know if this is a copyright issue, intellectual property issue, right of ownership, etc.  Is there anything I can do to stop this person?  Isn't what she is doing illegal?  I'd appreciate any information.  Thanks.

[JSonnabend]

Based on your description, this person is engaging in copyright infringement, plain and simple.  Have you registered your copyrights with the copyright office?  You won't be able to sue this person of copyright infringement, if that's what you want to do, until you register the copyrights.    In the meantime, a nasty letter from an attorney may go along way to getting this person to stop, and it shouldn't be expensive at all.

Also, depending on where you live, where the site is hosted, and where the infringer lives, you may have other courses of action available to you.

- Jeff

[angela]

Thanks so much for your advice.  How do I go about registering the copyright?  They're just my personal snapshots.  My father is a lawyer so a letter shouldn't be too difficult to come by.  

[JSonnabend]

Thanks so much for your advice.  How do I go about registering the copyright?  They're just my personal snapshots.  My father is a lawyer so a letter shouldn't be too difficult to come by.  

www.copyright.gov for info on registering.  What did your father say aout all this?