Is It Legal to Remove the Copyright From Your Photos?
You should only remove copyrights, watermarks, or date stamps from images you created, licensed for editing, or otherwise have permission to alter. Copyright infringement (at times referred to as piracy) is the use of works protected by copyright without permission for a usage where such permission is required, thereby infringing certain exclusive rights granted to the copyright holder, such as the right to reproduce, distribute, display or perform the protected work, or to produce derivative works. The copyright holder is usually the work's creator, or a publisher or other business to whom copyright has been assigned. Copyright holders routinely invoke legal and technological measures to prevent and penalize copyright infringement.
That is the core of how to remove copyright from a photo responsibly: edit pixels only when the rights situation is clear.

Fair Use
Fair use is a legal doctrine that allows limited use of copyrighted material without permission from the copyright holder. It is a complex area of law with no fixed checklist, and courts weigh several factors when they decide whether a particular use is fair.Disclaimer
This information does not constitute legal advice. Readers must seek professional legal consultation for situation-specific guidance.