Rick Sperry Photography

Copyrights vs. Usage Rights

Under United States Law a copyright notice is not required to protect copyright. Photographers own the copyright to their work as soon as they take the image, as well as the instant they press the button and publish it to any website or social media service.

Where copyright infringement can be confusing…
When a client pays to have a photographer take images, video or any other media presentation, that client is paying for a service. A service that you purchase is not something you can own. Madeleine Wilson posted a blog that explains this very well. Find more information <here>.

Usage Rights: "Usage rights are rights granted to an individual by an artist to use something for a specific purpose and for a particular period (of time)." For example, I give usage rights to my clients when I post photos of their property to display on a website or to share on social media to help advertise the property for sale.

Copyright: "Copyright is the exclusive legal right, given to an individual or entity to edit, print, sell, publish, distribute, etc.. As soon as a photographer (or anyone for that matter) clicks the shutter on a camera (or smartphone), they automatically own the copyright of that image".

Copyright infringement can result as soon as an individual implicitly or explicitly claims a photo or video as their own or if they print, distribute or publish same with the intent to sell or claim as their own without the approval of the original photographer. "Copyright infringement can result in civil and criminal penalties and should be taken seriously."

Watermarks

Watermarks also help to identify work created by the photographer. The photographer sends a clear signal that this photo should not be copied/used without the original photographer's consent. Watermarks can be considered as branded images.

Branded vs. Unbranded

Real estate media that is published on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS), such as the Sedona Verde Valley Association of REALTORs® (SVVAR), are only allowed to use "Unbranded" media. Therefore, no image or video can have any branding or contact information on the images that are published on the SVVAR. This is in essence, the difference between "Branded" and "Unbranded" images or video.

My Policy

I work with my wife, Sheri Sperry to help her with the digital media for her clients. I take pride in providing high-quality workmanship. This places Sheri's digital media in high regard among her clients and other REALTOR®s. She has been asked by many, "who does your photography?"

I find it a conflict of interest to work for any other REALTOR® because it dilutes Sheri's brand. With the amount of time, it takes to process and improve the quality of each image, this may not be a lucrative venture unless a client is willing to pay a higher fee. It is also time-consuming and takes me away from other SellSedona.com media tasks.

Due to the fact that all of Sheri's media is done in-house, we can customize the experience for our clients without going through other individuals. Most agents and brokers know that it can be difficult to schedule photo shoots or tweak images, etc. By hiring Sheri as their REALTOR®, clients are assured that this process is done with expediency and dedication to the client.
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© -2003-2022 or current year - All Rights Reserved: Rick Sperry Images ~ RickSperry.com ~ Sedona-Lifestyle.com ~ LifeInSedona.com ~ SLSperry.com ~ SheriSperry.com ~ SellSedona.com, ~ SheriSperry.Realtor ~ SLSperry.Realtor ~ No unauthorized use of images.