To copyright a photograph or video, you can register it with the U.S. Copyright Office. They offer standard applications for individuals, companies, and organizations that want to register one photograph, as well as a single application for individuals who want to register one photograph. You can also submit a supplementary registration for additional photographs, which is explained in a video tutorial on their website. If you created the photograph or video, you automatically own the copyright, but registering it provides additional benefits, such as the ability to sue for statutory damages if the copyright is violated.
When it comes to using images and videos online, it's important to be aware of copyright laws. Images and videos do not have to have artistic merit to be copyrighted, and the copyright owner has the exclusive right to reproduce, distribute, and display the copyrighted work. If you want to use an image or video that you found online, you should make sure that you have the right to do so. Some images and videos are licensed under Creative Commons licenses, which allow for certain uses, but it's important to check the specific license terms. Additionally, you should be aware that using GIFs and other types of images and videos without permission may be considered copyright infringement.