Is it illegal to remove watermarks from photos
Is removing a watermark illegal in US Yes. As per the US copyright act, section 1202, removing a watermark without the official owner's consent is illegal.
Can you secretly watermark a photo
Invisible watermarks are a way to hide text or images inside of photographs. This is most often used as a way to protect your photographs from being copied. For fun, invisible watermarks can also be used as a way to send secret messages.
Does watermark mean copyright
Understandably, artists have resorted to “watermarking” their images online to prevent others from stealing their work. While watermarking can be a great deterrent, it's not the same thing as a copyright, nor is it a substitute for officially obtaining copyright protection from the US Copyright Office.
Should a watermark be visible
Watermarks should be visible enough to provide adequate protection against image theft, but if they're too prominent they'll obscure too much of the image for it to be appreciated at all. Here, prominence is determined through a combination of frame coverage, opacity and style.
Is it OK to use image with watermark
If you use a watermarked image on any of your marketing materials, digital or print, without written permission from the rights holder then you are infringing the copyright of that watermarked image.
