The Intellectual Property Office have published  Copyright: Essential Reading in January 2011.  stating " This booklet provides information on copyright in the UK and abroad and highlights the processes involved in this important area of intellectual property". It is available free through www.ipo.gov.uk or by calling  0300 300 2000. Copyright:  Basic Facts, revised in February 2010, is available from the same source.

As photographers we need to ensure that we are careful with our property. Unfortunately many images become orphaned every day and we all need to take action to avoid this happening.

•   Ensure that your images, wherever they are published,  are correctly attributed.

•    Ensure you protect any images you publish, including on the internet, by attaching copyright (© name and year).

•   It is advisable to include a copyright notice on every page of a website.

•   Images should be identifiable from the metadata, although this can be stripped, accidentally or deliberately. Include your name as the author  in metadata. When saving for the web ensure the metadata remains intact and attached.

•   When using or publishing other photographers images it is important to include attribution, as well as having the appropriate permission from the photographer for the particular use..