Member Benefits: Copyright Registry

Despite the name, this company does not handle copyright registration for you. (For that, you still need to work with the Copyright Office.) Rather, it operates an image database that potential users can search to help locate the owner of an image. It also runs its own searches to track where your images are being used on the Web.

Thus, the service could become a useful defense against your online images being treated as orphans, should an Orphan Works law be passed. But it's also a way of helping users find you in order to obtain a license, as well as a way of helping you find any unlicensed users so that you can encourage them to do the right thing.

ASMP members: Please log in to gain access to this benefit program.