WHAT IS U.S. CODE 2257?
U.S. Code 2257 is a 50-year-old record-keeping statute that photographers working in explicit and adult content are required to adhere to if there is any commercialization of the images. This statute was originally introduced to prevent underage participants in the adult entertainment industry, but it also regulates content creation.
Images we create that include ACTUAL or IMPLIED sex, sex acts, genitalia, self or mutual pleasure, and sadistic or masochistic behaviors must have compliance information on file for seven years.
J Anderson Studios keeps all session images securely in our on-premises file server for seven years. We are required to make a copy of your government ID to verify that you are 18+ years old. We can’t legally make a copy of a Military ID, but passports and driver’s licenses work great. We also collect your full legal names, including stage or alternative names. Your information is kept secure and not referred to unless you come back fo ranother session. In this case we will check that your ID is still valid and add the dates of any new sessions.
Once the images exist they cannot be deleted. If you have consented before and during your photogrpahy session to be photographed with props or equipment that require compliance and later change your mind, we still can’t delete the images.
Rest assured. We don’t use any images from your session unless you’ve signed a separate image release form.
UNDERSTANDING COPYRIGHT
Unless you are a content creator, photographer, or digital creator, you may have little reason to delve into what copyright actually means. The long and short of it is…Whoever presses the shutter to create an image owns the copyright of that image.
Boudoir By J Anderson / J Anderson Studios has the ownership of every image they take of their clients, regardless of whether these images are included in the final gallery or not. According to the US Copyright Law, the Copyright holder (our studio) is entitled to use these images. However, a professional photographer understands that sharing images without permission is both irresponsible and can be legally challenged. It can also be considered an invasion of privacy for the client.
The images you receive as part of your photography session are essentially a shared copyright. We allow you to own them and sometimes use them per the terms of the signed contract. We do not use your images unless you have given us permission in the form of a separately signed image release form.
As a client, it is important to note that any use of the image outside of our contracted agreement is prohibited. This includes selling the image to a third party, submitting it to a contest, allowing it to be used as a brand's poster child, or using it as a commercialized authoring photo on your book.
In some cases, you may want to have complete ownership of the Copyright for an image created by our Studio. This means that you will have unrestricted rights to use the image without giving us any credit for creating it. Once the Copyright trade is completed, we will no longer have any ownership or rights to that image. The cost of transferring the Copyright starts at $1500 per image.