10/11/2025
From the legal practitioner
Imagine going for wedding photoshoot and the photographer posted it online before your wedding date😂😂😂
Na waiting happen to one of my clients, she sent me the message below
Sir, does a photographer has the right to post your birthday or wedding photoshoot online,on their own page before the date of your wedding or birthday?
The answer is YES, they can post it because the photographer owns the copyright to the image but they are restricted from using it for any illegal activities
Under the Nigerian copyright Act(2023), the photographer who takes the picture is generally the first owner of the copyright
This gives them the exclusive rights to reproduce, publish and distribute the work
But if you no want make such thing happen
Na your hand e dey o
You have to draft out a contract with the photographer, transferring copyright of ownership to you
Once you do that
You have secured the copyright of your own image from the photographer and they cannot reproduce or publish them again
If they do, you can sue them for breach of contract.
Same rule applies to all creators
Anything way be say na you create am, you own the copyright, even though the person pay you for am
Except they write an agreement to the effect na im you no go own the copyright again
The law is not emotional and ignorance of the law is no excuse