The Law (in Plain English) for Photographers

“If you’re a professional photographer, you must own this book.” —David Hume Kennerly, Pulitzer Prize winner, former White House photographer, University of Arizona presidential scholar

The All-in-One Resource for Photographers at All Levels

In The Law (in Plain English)® for Photographers, Leonard D. DuBoff and Sarah J. Tugman walk readers through the legal landscape of the photography business. In easy-to-understand terms and with plenty of examples, this comprehensive resource covers everything from organizing a business to privacy rights to copyright questions. Clearly outlined chapters will help readers to:

• Comprehend intellectual property laws
• ​Identify defamation and libel
• Distinguish rights of privacy and publicity
• Navigate censorship and obscenity rules
• Understand photo licenses and restrictions
• Organize a photography business
• Draft strong contracts and resolve disputes
• Properly file taxes and take advantage of deductions
• Select and utilize insurance plans
• Prepare an estate plan

To master the legal side of the business, all photographers need to have this essential guide in their libraries.

Leonard D. DuBoff is the founder of the DuBoff Law Group, PC. He graduated magna cum laude from Hofstra University with a degree in engineering and summa cum laude from Brooklyn Law School, where he was the research editor of the Brooklyn Law Review. He was a professor of law for almost a quarter of a century, teaching first at Stanford Law School and then at Lewis & Clark Law School in Portland, Oregon. He lives in Portland, Oregon.

Sarah J. Tugman graduated from Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Massachusetts, and magna cum laude from Lewis & Clark Law School in Portland, Oregon. She has maintained a private civil practice for the past thirty-three years in Anchorage, Alaska, and she is of counsel to the DuBoff Law Group. She is the coauthor, with Leonard D. DuBoff, of several books in the Law (in Plain English)® series. She lives in Lincoln City, Oregon.

“If you’re a professional photographer, you must own this book. It’s as much a basic and valuable tool as your light meter. Leonard D. DuBoff’s The Law (in Plain English)® for Photographers will help you avoid some legal pitfalls, answer many legal questions about your business, and intelligently inform you how to deal with your own legal counsel (something hard to avoid these days). Professor DuBoff says, ‘Most legal problems cost more to solve or defend than it would have cost to prevent their occurrences in the first place.’ That’s the bottom line. By reading this thoughtful and informative work you can practice what DuBoff preaches.” —David Hume Kennerly, Pulitzer Prize winner, former White House photographer, University of Arizona presidential scholar

“A must read for any photographer! The Law (in Plain English)® for Photographers provides photographers with the guidance and necessary tools to protect their copyrights and manage a photo business in this Wild West digital age.” —Carr Clifton, nature photographer, winner of the International Color Awards and Theodore Roosevelt Association Founders Medal

“Leonard DuBoff is a master at demystifying the legal issues faced daily by professional photographers. From setting up a business to drafting licenses, analyzing agreements, registering your work, the rights of privacy and publicity, work made-for hire, and much more, The Law (in Plain English)® for Photographers is an essential reference and should be on the desk of every photographer.” —Jeff Sedlik, advocacy committee, American Photographic Artists

“The Law (in Plain English)® for Photographers is a must-own and must-read for anyone considering a career as a professional photographer or for one with a career already underway. Authors Leonard D. DuBoff and Sarah J. Tugman have used their experience as lawyers to provide a survey of the key areas of law that are most relevant to photographers. Drawing on individual cases, and writing in clear, vivid language, they connect examples of key matters of law and legal decisions so readers can better understand how the law works and why it matters to working professional photographers. Their sweep of topics is very valuable, ranging from intellectual property protection to all the things one must do for business formation, legally, as well as the contracts and releases necessary to effectively run a business. As such, they produce a very clear roadmap to follow for understanding the key legal issues likely to be impactful to a photographer. For example, the chapters on rights of publicity and privacy, along with defamation and libel, are most useful as references to clearly delineate legal minefields to avoid. I also very much appreciated the way they explained how the law would affect a career at every stage from launching a business to end-of-life estate planning for one’s archive. That thoroughness is a gift that makes this book such a valuable reference work.” —Tom Kennedy, executive director, American Society of Media Photographers

“Because everyone is stealing images off the internet today and seems completely ignorant of copyright law, it is more important than ever for photographers to understand copyright issues. This book covers all of that, as well the legal essentials for photographers to protect themselves and their businesses, and should be in every photographer’s library.” ―Peter Bussian, photographer, filmmaker, media consultant, and author of Passage to Afghanistan

“A few years ago Leonard DuBoff represented me and my photography firm when I had a copyright case with a large casino conglomerate. We were able to settle the case in my favor and I am forever grateful to Leonard and his team. This book of his, The Law (in Plain English)® for Photographers, has been a valuable resource ever since. The content and information within the book has served as a way to educate my clients in the laws regarding copyright issues and has allowed me to pave a smooth path in resolving conflict and disagreements about photographers’ rights regarding ownership of original works. I highly recommend this book as a way to save time and money—and peace of mind—when discussing copyright law.” —Jeff Dow, commercial photographer