How can I protect reprint rights?

[ndDesign]

Basically, I'm about to add senior portraits to my photography business and I want to keep people from reprinting themselves (unless they pay for it).

What's the best way to do this?

Thanks!

 

[Flash Harry]

dont give them the file and put a big copyright notice through the picture online. H

 

[KmH]

How are you planning to provide the images to the client? Prints? Disc?

If you put them online consider them copied, copyright notice through the middle or not.

 

[magkelly]

Honestly, you can't stop them. The moment they have a physical copy in hand they can scan them and make all the copies they want. That's the reality of the situation. It's not nice to do that, and of course professional copies are a bit better usually but if they are inclined towards going there they will and there is really nothing you can do about it.

I'd keep the negative or digital original and sell them a good package up front to make them get access to the pictures and make you some money and then forget about it. If they want more good copies they will ask you. If they don't then they will scan them and use the ones they have and settle for slightly less nice versions.

Hate to say it but 99% of the people out there today, that's what they will do. They'll scan it so they can make more or use it online on their social pages or whatever and they won't think twice about it. It's gotten too easy to do that and they feel entitled to use it because it's of "them" and idea is that they're paying you to TAKE the picture once, not provide them with tons of copies that they can get made anywhere from one original print.

Rude, yeah, but that's what will happen, all the time, so there you go. Make them pay a good package fee up front but then let it go unless they ask. Doing otherwise is just an exercise in frustration. If you get more copies out of it consider yourself lucky you're dealing with really ethical people, but don't expect it, not in an age where someone's school shots or wedding photos get brought home from the studio and are online in 5 minutes flat.