I've contacted a design studio to produce a picture for a t shirt. He's charging me $225, should I copyright the image once I've received it?

All Answers To Questions

Yes you should, depending on your arrangement with the design company. If in your contract with them it says you own the rights to the images produced, then yes, copyright it.

Absolutely. Also, have the designer sign a contract that verifies said designer is agreeing to give you full rights to the design. Otherwise should you do real well with the design he could possibly come back to you later and try and sue. Cover your butt with these sorts of things or it could get messy later. Good luck!

Under US law, that would be a federal crime. You cannot put your own copyright markings on something that you do not actually own. Unless you create it yourself, or an employee of yours creates it, you are not the copyright owner. The independent contractor is the author and owner of the copyright until he or she sells it to you, and that isn't likely for only $225. You have what is called a "limited license" to use the work that you paid have done for you. You could put the artist's copyright notice on it, if you want to. If you want to register the copyright in something like that you would have to first BUY THE COPYRIGHT and have the author sign over "all right, title and interest" in and to the works, and record that written and signed transfer of rights in the copyright office for posterity, and make reference to it in your registration application.