Why it's a good idea to watermark your images

[Damaso]

http://www.photoattorney.com/2007/07/watermarks-can-be-music-to-your-ears.html

"[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]While many photographers place watermarks including their name and/or the copyright notice on their images to prevent someone from infringing them, it's fairly easy to crop or clone over the mark. Fortunately, the DMCA section of the Copyright Act provides an even better reason to use watermarks.[/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]"Section 1202 of the U.S. Copyright Act makes it illegal for someone to remove the watermark from your photo so that it can disguise the infringement when used. The fines start at $2500 and go to $25,000[/FONT]​

in addition to[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif] attorneys' fees and any damages for the infringement. The pertinent part of the statute is included below"[/FONT]

 

[jsrockit]

Interesting. I see you use one Damaso. Have you always used one?

 

[daveleo]

A few years back, a friend asked me to remove a photographers signature from some prints she bought (or maybe it was the digital files he sold her ? - I forget).
I very politely refused and explained why ("It's stealing ! ") her reply was "Well they are my pictures, I bought them, and anyway, no one will know". 🙁

We haven't got along very well, since I refused to do it.
People have strange ideas of what's right and what's wrong, you know.