Copyrighted 
The short answer
Metadata doesn't protect a photo the way a lock protects a door. It doesn't stop anyone from copying, cropping or reposting an image, and it can be removed. What it does is inform: it tells everyone who handles the file who made it, who owns it and where to ask about using it.
That is useful, and in some places the law gives that information a status of its own. It is still a label, and nothing more.
This article explains what metadata does. It is not legal advice. For a question about your own work, ask a lawyer where you live.
Where copyright comes from
In the many countries that belong to the Berne Convention, copyright in a photograph arises when it is created. There is no form to fill in and no notice required. A photo with empty metadata is protected just as a stamped one is.
Who owns that copyright can depend on more than who pressed the shutter. Employment, commissions and contracts can give it to someone else. Some countries also offer registration, which can matter if you ever need to enforce your rights. Those rules vary from country to country.
What metadata does do
- It names you in the copyright notice and the creator field, in the file itself.
- It tells people how to credit you, through the Credit Line.
- It points to your licensing page, through the Web Statement of Rights.
- It travels with the file through tools that keep metadata: editors, archives, agency systems and many publishing tools.
- It helps honest users. Most people who reuse a photo without permission can't tell who owns it. A notice removes that excuse.
It also saves time for you. A client who finds a photo in an archive years later can see at a glance whose it is and where to ask, without anyone having to dig through old emails.
What metadata doesn't do
- It doesn't create or register copyright.
- It doesn't prevent copying. A screenshot carries no metadata at all.
- It doesn't survive every service. Many websites and messaging services remove it on upload.
- It isn't proof of ownership. Anyone can write any name into a file.
- It doesn't make anyone honour it. Reading a notice is voluntary.
To see what survives a particular service, post a photo, download it again and read it with the copyright checker.
Removing copyright information can have consequences
Some legal systems protect this information itself. In the United States, section 1202 of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act deals with copyright management information, which includes the author's and owner's names and the terms of use. It prohibits removing or altering it in certain circumstances, broadly when the person knows or has reason to know that doing so will help hide or enable an infringement. The European Union has comparable rules for rights-management information, and other countries have their own.
The details, and whether they apply to a given situation, depend on the law and the facts. The practical lesson is simple: remove copyright fields only from your own photos, or where you have the right to. If you are unsure, ask a lawyer where you live before you strip anything.
Metadata and visible watermarks
A visible watermark and metadata do different jobs. A watermark is part of the picture. Anyone viewing the image sees it, and it survives a screenshot, but it covers part of your photo and can be cropped or retouched away.
Metadata is invisible and leaves the picture untouched. It carries more information, such as the owner, the credit and a licensing link, and software can read it automatically. It can also be stripped without leaving a trace in the image.
Many photographers use metadata on everything and add a watermark only where a photo is most likely to be copied, such as a low-resolution preview. Neither creates copyright. Both make it clearer whose photo it is.
A sensible routine
- Write the same notice, creator and credit into every layer of the photos you publish.
- Add a Web Statement pointing at a page where people can ask for a licence.
- Keep your originals and your records, such as contracts and invoices, somewhere safe.
- Check what the services you use keep, and choose accordingly.
Copyrighted handles the first two steps in bulk, without re-encoding your photos. It can remove copyright fields too, a job it keeps free, and one to use only on photos you have the right to change.
None of this replaces advice for your own situation. If you depend on your photos for a living, a short conversation with a lawyer who knows copyright where you live is worth having.
Questions
Do I need a copyright notice to own my photos?
In the many countries that follow the Berne Convention, no. Copyright arises when the photo is taken. A notice tells people who owns it and how to reach you. For your own situation, ask a lawyer where you live.
Is it illegal to remove copyright metadata?
It can be, in some circumstances and some jurisdictions. US law, in section 1202 of the DMCA, and rules in the EU and elsewhere protect copyright management information. Whether they apply depends on the facts, so ask a lawyer where you live.
Can metadata stop people from stealing my photos?
No. It can be stripped, and a screenshot carries none. It makes ownership clear to people who look, which deters casual reuse and helps honest users find you.
