Model Forum / Radio Controlled / Air Models / May 2008

No.  The only way you can give up copyright is to explicitly assign it to
someone else or to the public domain.  Copyright exists from the point in time
of the creation of the work and belongs to the creator (or their employer).  You
cannot lose it by accident but if you don't take precautions to mark works as
copyright, and to licence their use, then a court might take the view that you
did implicitly licence distribution or use.  This might reduce any damages or
income available from those works.

Hth,

I think it depends on the terms of service agreements
that I sign routinely without reading them.

With Picasa, I have the impression that I've signed
away some significant rights in order to get the
gigabyte of free space that they provide me.

I don't know whether that is true with other free
photo albums.  I think their hook is the hope that
folks will buy photos from their printing service.

Google is into data mining.  Everything that goes
into one of their intake systems becomes grist for
the mill, I think.

(Yes, I see I have mixed metaphors.  Well, I have
mixed feelings, too!)

The general rule in copyright law is that the author/creator
of a work enjoys copyright protection by default, whether
or not they explicitly assert it or register that assertion.
In the case of the Picasa agreement, I think I have given
Google permission to use my photos but I don't think I have
lost all of my rights--I can publish the photos elsewhere as
I see fit.  In other words, I don't think I've assigned
Google exclusive rights to the work.

A friend has entered a couple of my snapshots in photography
contests.  I think I did have to agree that the work would
become the exclusive property of the contest agency if I
won an award.

                Marty