Image theft... what do you think?

[friscuba]

I was browsing around today doing searches and I noticed a small dive operator I sort of know had lifted a bunch of pictures from my blog, as in roughly half or more of the photos on his website, without any request for permission whatsoever.

I was kind of surprised.

I'm thinking of how I should handle this. Hmmmmm....

Later,

 

[Kayla]

I would maybe just approach him about it nicely first. Maybe it was just an honest error?

 

[friscuba]

I will actually be nice about it, it just astounds me that it even comes up.

 

[Kayla]

I think it happens a lot more then any of us would expect. It never stops amazing me the things people will do!

 

[Wildcard]

Being nice would never even cross my mind....

 

[shark.byte.usa]

I would be nice at first, if he just did the site himself he may not be aware of copyright violations. You may be able to work something out that is mutually beneficial, whether that be goods, services, a link to your site or just plain ole' credit for your work. In the immortal words of Patrick Swayze in Roadhouse, "be nice until it's time to not be nice."

-Garrett

 

[friscuba]

I just did a right click on properties of the swiped pics... I'd kinda hoped they took a shortcut and were stealing bandwith too... then I could just alter the photos and have some fun. Bummer.

 

[justleesa]

Hey Steve! I just had someone use one of my picutres on Ebay. A friend wrote him, because I was too chicken :blush:

This is what he wrote:

Your Photo is a copyrighted image from a fellow Underwater
photographer. I have contacted the photographer in Hawaii.

You should remove it immediately! Stealing images on the
internet is something that can be reported to Ebay and could
affect your rating.

Please do the honorable thing and change it.

One time I found a picture of my husband on a dive web site from St. Thomas. I wrote him that he had really good taste and how we should deal with the payment....he said sorry, that someone sent him the picture claiming it was theirs and took it down right away.

If they don't like nice, you could always turn nasty

 

[almitywife]

do you put your copyright tag on your prints??

as mike veitch once told hubby when this happened to him..... this is artistic theft and you need to bring it to the site owner attention

he either pays you for it in $$$ or trade. if you dont give him your permission to use the images then he must remove it

cheers and goodluck

 

[drbill]

I've found a few of mine on various web sites. I get my lawyers on them right away. That way I not only lose the revenue from the use fee, but spend a fortune getting the lawyer to issue a cease-and-desist.