Happy New Year 2021 - Change your camera's copyright notice!

I hope the new year is a happy and healthy year for you!

It's January 1, 2021 in just a few days. The COVID-19 pandemic rages on, particularly in the U.S. If you've been following my articles and columns in various publications, especially at Travelers United, you know I've had little time to write about much else, during the “Year of the 21^st Century Pandemic.”

Unfortunately, with the end of year surge in holiday travel in the U.S. and elsewhere, I believe the pandemic is going to get a lot worse in the coming weeks. That's even while the vaccine to protect us from the deadly killer is being administered to millions. As I'm writing this final article for 2020, at the NSL Photography Blog, more than 81 million have been infected by the virus, with more than 1.7 million succumbing to it across the globe.

Happy New Year 2020 - Change your camera's copyright notice!

Happy New Year. I hope it's a happy and healthy year for you!

It's January 1, 2020. That means we may or may not be starting a new decade.

While it may look obvious that a new decade has begun, if we're consistent within our Gregorian calendar counting, we'll have to wait another year before that happens.

There's confusion about when decades start because Pope Gregory XIII, who in 1582 introduced the calendar most of the world uses, didn't start the calendar with year “0,” but started it with year “1.” In fact, in the Gregorian calendar, there is no year “zero.” From the year 1 BCE (formerly BC), the calendar goes to 1 CE (formerly AD).

Therefore, when a new century or millennia starts, it begins on a year that ends with a “1,” not a “0.” So, to be consistent, new decades should really start with a “1” too, but since we talk about decades belonging to teens, twenties, thirties, forties, etc., most people have gotten used to thinking decades start with the year at “0.”

It's time to reset your camera's copyright notice

Regardless of whether or not today starts a new decade, it does start a new year. That means it's time to reset the copyright notice in your camera to reflect the new year. Make sure your 2020 images have the correct metadata information embedded in them.

Happy New Year 2019 - Change your camera's copyright notice!

Happy New Year.

It's January 1^st, time to reset the copyright notice in your camera to reflect the new year. Make sure your 2019 images have the correct information.

Most digital cameras today can automatically insert your copyright notice into the metadata of every image you make as they are stored. By the time you read this article, each of my cameras will have been reset so that they will insert the following copyright and use statement into every image I make with them:

“Copyright © 2019 NSL Photography. All Rights Reserved.”

If you haven't been inserting your copyright notice in your images to protect them, I suggest you consider beginning the practice today.

What do photographers need to do to protect and document their copyright?

In Part I of my copyright series, “I'm not a "Pro." Why should I worry about copyrighting my photos?” I discussed why both professional and amateur photographers, and even weekend vacationers should seriously consider taking measures to raise the level of their copyright and other protection for their photographs.

In this article, the series continues with practical suggestions to protect your photos and establish your copyright firmly. In the next, (last) article in the series, I will discuss copyright registration in the US, how and when you can, and why you should, register your photographs, and if your copyright is violated, what remedies registration extends to you, that you otherwise wouldn't have.