Legal Handbook for Photographers: The Rights and Liabilities of Making Images (Legal Handbook for Photographers: The Rights & Liabilities of) (Paperback)

by Bert Krages (Author)
Key Phrases: group registration, agency insignia, consideration clauses, United States, Copyright Office, Copyright Dump (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Attorney Bert Krages, Esq., helps you navigate the often confusing maze of laws and rights with the help of this informative handbook."  —Shutterbug

"The book includes tips for protecting your intellectual property by using copyrights, patents, and trademarks."  —Studio Photography

"Wonderful compilation of important legal issues all photographers should understand . . . this book covers the subjects you need to know about."  —About.com

Product Description

Beginning with the basic laws that govern photography, this legal manual helps photographers understand the basic matters of access and privacy, covering issues such as shooting images on private property, consent, and the photography of public groups. Subjects addressed include the legalities of photographing currency, stamps, securities, trademarks, seals, and insignia; military and nuclear installations; copyrighted materials; children; and animals. This updated handbook closes with a helpful glossary that decodes complicated legalese.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Amherst Media, Inc.; 2nd edition (November 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1584281944
• ISBN-13: 978-1584281948
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #47,906 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Advice and Cheap Insurance, January 7, 2007

By	Hans Halberstadt "Hans Halberstadt" (San Jose, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

As a professional photographer and writer for many years, I have occasionally bumped into problems related to making or using photographs -- people who tell you that you can't make a photograph, people who use your photographs without permission -- and I found Bert's first edition of this book several years ago and was delighted with its contents. His model-release form, for example, is the most simple and un-intimidating I have ever seen, and getting a signed model release is required for some of the work I do. I thought the advice generally was superb -- so much so that I bought copies of the book for everybody in our little company.

Since then we have worked with Bert on many copyright infringement problems, always successfully, and some of that experience has been incorporated into this second edition of the Handbook. There is tremendous misunderstanding about how the Copyright Act works and what a photographer must do to get full protection -- formal registration -- and what a photographer can get when a registered image is infringed. Bert knows this topic inside and out and shares that information in this book.

If you are a photographer who plans to keep from being sued, arrested, or harassed, and if you want to know what your options are when somebody uses your work without permission, Bert's LEGAL HANDBOOK is great advice at very reasonable expense. In fact, it is worth it for just the model release alone!

Hans Halberstadt

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you're turning pro, you'll want to read this book, too., November 4, 2006

By	Robert Lawton (O'Fallon, IL USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

After jumping into the digital world and actually selling my images, the thought occurred to me that perhaps I should learn a few things about protecting my rights and respecting the rights of others. That is, I wanted information about how to cover my legal backside.

Krages' book describes a U.S. photographer's rights and responsibilities using a clear and conversational prose. While he explains the legal jargon specific to photography, he never forgets his readers care more about making photographs than reading dry law books. The book includes a great breadth of information in modest depth. I really appreciated the sample forms.

Given that I'm a novice pro, I found this book extraordinarily helpful. If you're turning pro, you'll want to read this book, too.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Your Questions Answered, January 23, 2007

By	M. Fisher (Anchorage, AK) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

As an advanced novice taking the first steps to go pro, I had a LOT of questions about legal issues of photography. I'd searched for some of my questions online and in a few books, but the answers were never good. They either focused on different questions or didn't give enough of an answer to satisfy me.

When this book arrived, I flipped through it and read all of the photo captions. Wow! Immediately I saw its value. Then I started reading through sections of the text. It answered all of the questions I'd had.

While one would best be advised to contact an attorney if a legal issue came up, this book goes a long way to help the reader avoid legal problems. I am VERY satisfied that I bought this book. If you're a professional photographer with legal questions, I'd highly recommend it.