Photography survey suggests retaining copyright increases profit by a third

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Photographers who keep their copyright make thousands more pounds in profit, according to a survey carried out by the British Photographic Council. The research found that freelance photographers who retain the rights over images earn on average 33.2 per cent more than those who hand it over to clients.

Based on the answers of 1,698 UK photographers, only 10 per cent of photographers said they assign copyright to their clients by default.

But those who do were found to have made profits on average of £14,471, compared to those who keep it reporting profits of £19,272.

"Copyright is not only the cornerstone of the creative industries, it is the foundation stone of creativity," British Photographic Council chair John Toner says in a release. "Without it, creators would find it impossible to survive."

Copyright infringement was also found to be a significant issue, with three out of five photographers saying they had experienced illegal use of their images in the past three years.

This was reported to have cost photographers just over £3,600 each on average, supporting calls for quicker and easier legal redress.

The statistics also showed that the majority of photographers remain concerned about current laws on photography in public places, which has caused controversy in recent weeks . Other findings included better pay for staff photographers and a male dominated market.