Analyzing Crop and Edit History — Analyzing Crop and Edit History

To register a copyright claim for a photograph, the applicant must submit a digital copy of each image in JPEG, GIF, or TIFF format. These files represent the photographer's protected artistic choices, such as the selection of camera lens, angle, and lighting.

The Copyright Office will not register photographs that lack a sufficient amount of creative expression. Reviewing these registered creative details can help verify the original composition of a photograph.