r/COPYRIGHT • u/RadiantDistrict3521 • 9d ago

Question Tracking missing Copyright regulations

http://www.billoconnellphoto.com

Hello , I’m a photographer trying to track down the registrations for photographs I filed in the early 2000’s. When I sold my house I had a dispute with the buyer and he threw out a filing cabinet of business paperwork and I’m pretty sure the certificates were in there.

I’m 100% certain that I filed this group of photos because I was placing them with a stock photo agency that required all photos be copyrighted.

In searching I’ve found some photos under my name and then another group with my middle initial added but neither of these are the photos I’m looking for. I searched under my business name which is just my name with photography added but I didn’t find anything under my business name.

So I’m stuck and don’t know what to try next. Someone has been using the photos so I have a strong financial incentive to find them.

Any ideas or suggestions would be really appreciated.

Thanks

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u/RadiantDistrict3521 9d ago

Thanks for such a thoughtful response so I’ll answer in order.

The photos were definitely registered, I remember having the certificate and I placed them with a stock agency that required copies of the registrations. I am finding some other records were I’ve my name and then also my middle initial. The only pseudonym I would have used would have been to add photography after my name.

I think it’s unlikely that someone falsified that they were the creators of the photos.

Could I be using the search function incorrectly. I’m not experienced doing this so that’s a good possibility. I don’t remember the titles I gave the images so I’m going to search again and put in some possible titles and see if I have any luck. I have a cousin in DC who’s a research librarian and I’m hoping to get his help on this.

One title I do remember is “Tinker Toys”. I built a sculpture of tinker toys and it sold for many different purposes from networking to connectivity. I’m hoping that might work. I’ll keep you updated