Protect Legal West Virginia Photography Forms For Free

If you're a photographer, there are a few key things to know about copyright law and the protections available to you. First, copyright protects original works of authorship, including original photographs. A work is original if it is independently created and is sufficiently creative.

The general answer is no you don't need a release when photographing a public location, however, it is always best to error on side of caution and obtain a model release. This may not always be feasible and is appropriate to photograph even without a release in the case of street photography.

Some of the most common types of release forms include photo, model, property, and copyright release forms. They're all designed to protect a photographer's work and outline publishing rules for the photos.

Generally speaking, the copyright belongs to the person who created the image ? in the case of a photograph the person who took it (i.e. the photographer.) There are some exceptions to this ? for example if the photographer is an employee (for example in a large studio) the copyright belongs to their employer.

You should use a photo release consent form any time you plan on using an image for commercial purposes. In other words, if your picture is going to generate money ? even indirectly for marketing or sales purposes ? you need a release form.

Since the model has control, the artist, photographer, or company hiring the model needs permission from the model to use the images both for the initial intended purpose as well as any potential future uses. In essence, the model release form lays out the terms of use that both the artist and model agree with.