All portraits produced by Lens Art are COPYRIGHTED.Federal Copyright Law protects photographers by giving the creator of a photograph the exclusive right to reproduce that image. This right not only extends to the making of copies of an image, it is in fact, illegal to reproduce a copyrighted image in any way without the written consent of the creator of that photograph.
There are civil and criminal penalties for violation of copyrights and we belong to organizations such as Professional Photographers of Nebraska (PPN) which provide legal assistance to photographers in the effort to stop illegal copying. Copyright FAQ’s
Q. If there is no © sign or other copyright notice on or near an image, I don't need permission to use it, do I?
A. The absence of a copyright notice does not mean that you are free to use an image. Since 1989, copyright notice is no longer a requirement under the Copyright Act. Again, the basic assumption has to be that there is a valid copyright.
Q.If I buy and pay for a print, can't I make copies of it?
A.No. The Copyright Act makes it absolutely clear that the tangible print or copy of a work is completely separate from the right to use the work, and paying for one does not necessarily mean obtaining the other.
Q.Do I need permission to use images that I find on the internet?
A.The medium (i.e. print or electronic) does not make a difference. The odds are excellent that anything you see on the Internet is copyrighted and that using it without permission constitutes an infringement.
Q.Do I need permission to use an image if I alter the image or use it in a different medium?
A.Those uses are called derivative works and are among the exclusive rights belonging to copyright owners. If there is a copyright to the image, you need permission to use it.
Q. Do I need permission if I want to use only part of an image, not the whole thing?
A. There is no exemption from copyright based on the percentage of the image being used.
Q. If I can't identify or find the copyright owner to a work to get permission, am I free to use it?
A. No, not any more than being unable to find a grocery store clerk lets you walk out without paying for your order.
Q.If I pay to have a portrait of myself painted or photographed, don't I have the right to make copies?
A. No, not unless you contracted for the right to make copies. Like owning a copy, being a commissioning party does not make you the owner of a copyright.
Q.What if I paid to have a photograph made to use in an advertising brochure --- can't I use the photo for other things?
A. No. The commissioning party only has those rights that he or she has negotiated, received permission, and paid for. All other rights generally belong to the author of the work, no matter who paid to have the work created.