Digital images on your website are considered your intellectual property and are implicitly protected, but they can easily be copied, pasted, and shared without your knowledge.  There has been a great deal of focus on digital piracy recently with the failed legislation known as  SOPA.  Read more about it HERE.

So, as an artist, how can you protect your property?  You can certainly watermark your images before posting them online.  If you use WordPress, an excellent tutorial is posted HERE.  However, some artists believe that even a discrete watermark detracts from their artwork.

MBAA member, Bob Moody, prefers not to use watermarks on his paintings, but instead posted this information on his website regarding the Use of Images.    And he shared this information regarding  Copyright Information for Artists.   While it’s not legally necessary to protect your work, remember that it’s wise to post a copyright declaration on your website.