As a photographer, you automatically own the copyright to all your photographs. Among other things, this means that only you decide what may be done with them. If you give others permission, the photographs may be used in, for example, schoolbooks and other books, on posters and postcards, or in a CD booklet.
You can make this permission subject to financial conditions. In effect, you sell a license for a specific use, period, and territory. It is important to agree carefully on the license terms and, preferably, to record them in writing.
You always retain the moral rights to your works. Among other things, this means that you can object if others mutilate or alter your work, give it a different title, or attribute it to someone else—for example, to themselves.
The purpose of copyright is to enable authors, including photographers, to exploit their creations commercially or have them exploited, and to prevent others from using their intellectual property without permission. For photographs whose creator cannot be located, it is possible to obtain an indemnity agreement from the FotoAnoniem Foundation, which operates under Burafo.
Source: www.auteursrecht.nl
