Photographers should not put the copyright notice on their photographs unless they own copyright. However, if a photographer does put the notice on the photograph when he or she doesn’t own copyright, then putting the notice on will not transfer copyright to the photographer. Any transfer of copyright must be done in a written document signed by the copyright owner.

For a photographer to be the owner of a commissioned photograph taken before 30 July 1998 or taken for a private or domestic purpose after 29 July 1998, the client must have agreed, before the photograph was taken, that the photographer would own copyright.