Hi all:

I am trying to sort out the difference here, although I suspect these are the same thing. Have I got it right that your watermark is often a copyright, for example:

copyright 2008 Tori R. Gregory


Or, I guess, the watermark could be a PROOF mark on your online images. Am I on the right track here? Or the right scent, for the dog and hound folks out there?

Next Question: do you use specific watermarking software? Or do you find text layers in PS3 sufficient?

And Finally, do you prefer to sign your own name or your business name as a watermark?

Thanks.

copyright 2008 Tori R. Gregory is called a Notice of Copyright. It could be a watermark, but it has specific legal definitions under US Code Title 17 normally called the copyright act. Your copyright notice is ALMOST correct. Copyright 2008 Teri R. Gregory is the correct way of notice. © 2008 Teri R. Gregory is the other correct way of copyright notice.

Copyright basics

Copyright is a legal concept, not a physical mark.

A watermark is / can be a physical mark used to denote ownership, deter copying, etc.

MCP has an action for making and applying a watermark that is pretty easily dissectible so that you can choose which watermarks to add once you create multiple versions. Get it here:
http://multiplechoicesphotography.blogspot.com/2007/11/as-promised-watermark-freebie-action.html

OW is a whole different can of worms. Let's hope it never passes . . .