Home > Advisories
Tips, Ideas and Advice
With over 5,000 members, ASMP has access to a wealth of useful, real world information.
- Copyright news
- Trade surveys and research
- Heightened security, limited access
- Trademarked products and locations
- Scams preying on photographers
Copyright news
- New Delivery Rules for Copyright Office
The Copyright Office has issued new regulations regarding the delivery of packages, including copyright registration materials, to the Office. The changes affect only deliveries made by private commercial couriers and messengers, not by US mail, UPS, FedEx and similar larger carriers. It affects what has been referred to as the "Spandex crowd": i.e. bicycle couriers and other professional delivery services.
If you use large commercial carriers, such as FedEx or UPS, the change does not affect you. Also, at least for the time being, copyright owners and lawyers representing copyright owners can continue to hand carry registration materials directly to the Copyright Office.
HINT: You won't find this in writing anywhere, but if you are going to the Copyright Office to deliver your own registration materials, put them in a closed briefcase or backpack. Right now, briefcases and backpacks are x-rayed on your way in, but they are not opened and hand-inspected.
See announcement from the Copyright Office.
- New Copyright Processing Procedures and Submission Format Preferences
Effective immediately, using delivery services such as Federal Express, DHL, UPS and Airborne for submitting copyright registrations does not any longer expedite the registration process. The only way to by-pass delays and potential damage to deposit material is to have your registrations hand carried into the Copyright Office by someone who does not look like a courier or commercial delivery person. Otherwise, your submission will redirected to the loading dock and then sent to another off-site facility in the greater Washington, DC area for trace inspection and possible physical inspection, and only then sent to the Copyright Office. Any submissions sent to the Copyright Office via U.S. Mail will continue to be irradiated.
To the extent that the Copyright Office has a preference for the medium for submitting deposit photographs, CD-ROM is the current favorite. So, where you have a choice in the medium for the deposit copies. CD-ROMs are an easy, economical, and efficient option. See the Copyright Tutorial for more details.
Useful Photography Trade Surveys and Research
- StockArtistsAlliance (SAA) White Paper: Understanding Stock Licensing Models — Today, in order to make a living, there is increasing pressure on photographers to diversify their business opportunities, and more photographers are considering engaging in stock as a way to do so. While most engage in Rights Managed licensing, some are considering Royalty Free as well. It is clear that there is much confusion and unease about Royalty Free as photographers are unsure about the opportunities and concerned about how their decisions will impact their own business (and the industry in general). Read the White Paper (PDF).
- Communication Arts 2003 Subscriber Research Detailng Stock Image Usage — January 2004 (PDF)
- The Changing World of Commercial Photography — RIT Photography Survey Results, October 2003
Photographing through Heightened Security and Limited Access
- Caught in the Crossfire — arrested for taking pictures?
- TSA revising regulations for carry-on baggage
- Air travel security regulations
- Handy airline flight and departure info
Trademarked Products and Locations Requiring Special Releases
- PACA Special Releases List
- ASMP tutorial on model and property releases — with customizable forms
Beware the 'Advance Funds' scam
- Email scam targets photographers — yet another variant on the "419" scheme