As a photographer, there's probably a part of you that wants to put a barbed wire fence with laser-activated missile launchers around your images. They represent your hard work and creative soul! And we at PPA understand (but we also know that those missile launchers are not legal for this purpose--sorry).

Instead, remember that PPA membership grants you access to all our copyright and advocacy benefits! We can help you navigate those complex copyright issues via our full-time Copyright & Government Affairs department.

So, are you doing everything possible (short of those missiles) to protect your images?

• Start by brushing up on your basic copyright knowledge & applying it. PPA has downloadable resources to help you, from the Copyright Kit (updated annually to reflect U.S. Copyright Law and rules changes put in place by the U.S. Copyright Office) to sample forms and articles that walk you through addressing infringements and crafting licensing agreements.
• Watch free webinars (only for PPA members) to answer even more questions about copyright, licensing agreements or other legal forms.
• Ask PPA for help. We are happy to help our members (as much as we can) with individual copyright questions or to ensure copyright compliance. Sometimes we can even work with you on a one-on-one basis to communicate with an infringer if you find images that have been used without permission!

PPA even takes this one-on-one help a bit further...like all the way to Capitol Hill further. Our Copyright & Government Affairs staff regularly participates in discussions on copyright, small-business matters and health insurance concerns. We meet with congressional staff to discuss how legislation might affect pro photographers like you. And we meet with the U.S. Copyright Office about copyright rules and regulations and how changes could benefit or harm your ability to protect your image rights.

Why in the world would we bother? Because after listening to member comments, meeting key players on Capitol Hill and reviewing legislation, we can then take action on issues that might affect you as a photographer and small-business owner. We want to make sure that you have a voice in the matter!

Assisting members, educating the public, and acting to protect the rights of photographers all play an important role in PPA. (So don't worry about the barbed wire or the missiles; we'll back you up.)

Not a PPA member, but wishing you were after reading about this and all the other benefits? Who could blame you? For full-time assistance from our copyright and advocacy team, join PPA today!