Original Posting Dates — Original Posting Dates

Tracking the exact date of a primary post or image is essential to establish the timeline of any public claim. S. Copyright Office defines publication as occurring on the specific month, day, and year that copies are first distributed to the public.

Under group registration rules for published photographs, all photos in a group must be published within the same calendar year. Verifying these official publication dates helps researchers determine the true origin of a recirculated image.