Using a web address as a copyright line

[Treeve]

What is the name of your state? Pennsylvania
RE: Using a web address as a copyright line...
I am a photographer, ready to put my work online and want to copyright my photos. Another photographer told me, when I submit the VA (visual arts) form to the Copyright Office, that I should use my web address as the "Author and Owner of the Copyright," so whenever my photos are published the copyright line will also be an advertisement for my web site. For example: Photo (c) www.something.com. It sounds like a brilliant idea. My sole proprietor ship (for taxes etc) is my full name, FirstName, MiddleI., LastName, "trading as" CompanyName. Now, if I create a new web site, can I choose a web address (that will also become a copyright line) that is a shortened version of my personal name, or a shortened version of the company name? Or would it have to be the EXACT full personal name or EXACT full company name in order to be legal as a copyright? In other words, can a web address "own" a copyright?

 

[businessjustice]

as long as your website is dedicated, and not, for example, the free homepage you can get from AOL, you can. PROVIDED somewhere on the page you can access the actual true company/copyright information.

Basically, what you are doing is on the photo, directing them to a place where you can view the copyright information, so it isn't that the web address owns the copyright, the company that owns the web address does.

On the form itself, where is asks for "author" if I remember correctly on the right side you can check annonymous or pseudonymous, check pseudonymous, and it is your choice to note what the ACTUAL name is along with the web address. Just make sure you fill in your actual citizenship and whatever else they ask for, and have your complete legal information in the contact area.

 

[Treeve]

THANK YOU for that explanation. It helps a LOT! The VA form does not have a psuedo-something box, but I can call the Copyright Office again and ask about the proper way to fill in the form. Again, many thanks for your help!