We believe in the power of photography and the value in creativity.

Global Rights Control is engaged in copyright protection on behalf of photographers and their legitimate representatives. GRC’s mission is to ensure copyright protection of professional rights holders by pursuing infringements and recouping lost license fees.

GRC hopes that its enforcement of copyright laws will have a positive impact on business behavior and correct assumptions that online creative content is free to use.

GRC believes in the power of photography and the value in creativity. Global Rights Control was created by the founders of high-end photographic agencies, who collectively have decades of experience in exclusive photography licensing and photographer representation.

What to do?

IF YOU’VE RECEIVED A LETTER:

1. Respond to the GRC representative who sent you the letter as soon as possible.
2. If you acknowledge the infringement, pay the amount demanded in the letter.
3. If you believe you have a valid defense to the claim of infringement, please let the GRC representative know to discuss further.

Global Rights Control’s mission is to protect the legal rights of our clients and return lost revenue to those legitimate rights-holders.

If you have received a letter from us, we encourage you not to panic but to reach out and discuss the claim; please don’t ignore the letter as this is a serious matter.

Any use of a photographer’s image requires a valid license; if you believe you have a license to use the image, please share it with us.

What we do & why it matters.

We work on behalf of the photographers we represent. Each photographer is an individual freelancer and/or small business owner. Their creativity and the photographs they make are their livelihood.

When this work is used without permission, and without payment of a fair and adequate licensing fee, it causes real damage, both financial as well as to their reputations and the exclusive value of the work. It is an infringement of their copyright.

GRC works to protect the photographers copyright and a fair market for the creative industry.

FAQ

An image is considered “copyrighted” from the date of creation, and but for a very limited number of exceptions, permission must always be obtained from the copyright owner or the copyright owner’s agent, if applicable, prior to any use.

Ignorance of the copyright owner does not excuse infringement. Due diligence is required before using any image.

Watermarks are not required for copyright protection. Copyright exists from the moment of creation.

Credit alone does not constitute permission to use copyrighted material. A valid license is still required.

Social media sharing does not grant license rights. Permission is still required for all uses.

Fair use is a complex legal doctrine that rarely applies to commercial use. Most uses do not qualify for fair use protection.

The Internet is not the public domain. Just because an image appears online does not mean it’s free to use.

Correct. The Internet is not a public domain resource. Most content online is protected by copyright.

Please provide proof of your license. If you purchased from an unauthorized source, the license may not be valid.

You are responsible for all content published under your name or business, regardless of who created or manages it.

Permission from a third party does not constitute a valid license unless they are the copyright owner or authorized agent.

Removing the images does not resolve past infringement. License fees for the period of unauthorized use may still apply.

You can find more information at the U.S. Copyright Office website (copyright.gov) and consult with a qualified intellectual property attorney.

Financial gain or traffic levels do not determine copyright infringement. Any unauthorized use may constitute infringement.

Please contact us to discuss payment options. We may be able to work out a settlement arrangement.

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We believe in the power of photography and the value in creativity.

What to do?

What we do & why it matters.

FAQ

WE ONLY WORK WITH SELECTED PREMIUM CONTENT RIGHTS HOLDERS.