Metadata
Metadata are important as it gives genuine users of your work the opportunity to trace you, but it is by no means a method of protecting your rights, the only up side of making sure that all the relevant information is included and stating so in your method of communication with the world, web site or other… is that you know it has been removed intentionally if it is not in the image being used.
TIP In your terms and conditions for usage ALWAYS include a term (or similar) “Image Metadata cannot be edited, removed or replaced, by doing so you breach the license(s) for the image” You get the idea.
Note Altering or removing copyright ownership information, in IPTC or anywhere else, is a criminal offence in UK under the 1988 Copyright Designs and Patents Act if done with the intention of depriving the rights holder (You) of their intellectual property rights. More info here: Copyright Action
Thankfully there is a Photoshop Template that is a good starting point to be used as an industry standard.
See below for information, download and installation instructions.
BAPLA:
Bapla Metadata Panel
Pass4press:
Pic4Press Metadata Panel
