Copywrite Question

Sherry92 · Post by **Sherry92** » Thu Sep 10, 2009 2:13 am

I have a question. My husband and I take alot of photos. Well we use the corel products to spicen up the photos and sometimes I use the Corel Painter Essentials to turn my photography into a painting. I am wonder once I have a finished picture can I then get it copywrited or can I not because I used software?

Black Lab · Post by **Black Lab** » Thu Sep 10, 2009 2:53 am

Copyright gives the author of an original work exclusive right for a certain time period in relation to that work, including its publication, distribution and adaptation, after which time the work is said to enter the public domain. Copyright applies to any expressible form of an idea or information that is substantive and discrete and fixed in a medium. Some jurisdictions also recognize "moral rights" of the creator of a work, such as the right to be credited for the work. Copyright is described under the umbrella term intellectual property along with patents and trademarks.

If it is a photo taken by you, you can do whatever you want to it, and copyright it.

If the photo is taken by somebody else, say you downloaded it from the Internet, then no, you cannot copyright it. In fact, changing it could be illegal.

That is my understanding of the law.