Image theft... what do you think?

[ajames54]

A lot of people really don't know squat about what they are and are not allowed to do with pictures. Contact him and be nice about it, but be firm that those are your pictures. Don't expect compensation though, if you ask for anything beyond a photo credit it will be cheaper for the site owner to take them down. At the risk of ruining a relationship you could demand compensation but unless you are in the habit of selling pictures the value is impossible to determine and will be minimal.

An apology and removal is the minimum to expect, photo credit and a discount or token payment is the best.

IF you do give him permission to use them then you open a new can of worms, make sure he signs a limited use license that prevents him for selling them on..

 

[vladimir]

Do what I do. I try to over- or under-expose each shot, or sometimes flub the focus or composition. This has shown itself to be a huge disincentive to copyright infringement.

 

[Rick Murchison]

Personally I have no expectation of security when I post something on the web, be it written or photographed. That doesn't mean I won't claim ownership if someone lifts any of it, though. Unless there's some real abuse (like someone making something for sale from something of mine) then all I'd ask for is attribution.
'Course I don't make my living at photography, either... if someone swiped some of my code, that'd be another matter entirely, possibly referred to my lawyers - Smith, Colt, Wesson & Ruger
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Even if someone sends me a photo they've taken, (so now it's "mine") if I put it up on the web I'll make sure I let folks know who took it. Case in point.
Rick

 

[Texas Girl]

Do you really even need to add a copyright tag or something to get rights for your work? Don't know about the laws in u.s. but here in Finland I do have all rights for my work/photos regardless of a copyright tag, logo or a water mark in a photo. Then again none of those stop people from robbing pictures.

The US is the same. I have a website, and although I have a copyright statement on every page, it isn't necessary. Posting a link to any site is fine, but copying text or photos is not allowed without permission of the author. As you said, it doesn't stop anyone from doing it. You can add scripting to a page to keep people from right-clicking something, but it it fairly easy to get around if you want to grab something from a site.

 

[Warren_L]

I watermark all my photos I post on the net because I've had my work used without my permission before. I'm sure it detracts from the overall viewing experience of the images, and it isn't foolproof, but it does prove that if someone goes to enough trouble to take it and edit it so that it can be used, it was deliberate and knowingly stolen.

The irony is that I've been asked on a number of occasions to use my images and in most cases (unless there's money to be made then I ask for a cut) I'm more than happy to allow it.

 

[fisherdvm]

The cost to get lawyers on these cases far exceed the value of the photo. I suggest if you like to share these photos, reduce their resolution to as low as possible and smudge them with a photo brush with your name...

When a person google a photo, they assume that it is public property, unless you noted otherwise.

Posting your photo on a public site is essentially giving your photos away... Lawyer fees are too great, especially for filing an out of state, out of the country, or even in the county copyright infringement suit.

 

[HowardE]

A little off subject but how do you go about looking for your photos on line?? With the 10s of thousands of web sites, looking at everyone is obviously not an option.

you don't - but sometimes, you run across your own photos in someone else's gallery. It's somewhat disappointing to see, especially if you're not given proper credit.

 

[justleesa]

The US is the same. I have a website, and although I have a copyright statement on every page, it isn't necessary. Posting a link to any site is fine, but copying text or photos is not allowed without permission of the author.

Yup, what she says.
Some might want to read this:

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY PROTECTION AND COURTS AMENDMENTS ACT OF 2004​

As you said, it doesn't stop anyone from doing it. You can add scripting to a page to keep people from right-clicking something, but it it fairly easy to get around if you want to grab something from a site.

Sadly true. But not knowing the copyright laws does not make it OK to take a picture of a website with out permission - especially if that person uses it in advertising or sales. In most cases people are pretty good about taking pictures down...they will take yours down and just as quickly put up new ones from someone else.​

I love digging up the old thread from my first copyright issue because there is a lot of good information there.​

A little off subject but how do you go about looking for your photos on line?? With the 10s of thousands of web sites, looking at everyone is obviously not an option.

In almost all my occurrences someone else saw it and told me about it...and the one time I found something I was looking for turtles and the picture popped up in the search results.

 

[Web Monkey]

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,

I'd send him a letter and a bill for a reasonable amount and go take a trip.

You can either p*** him off and make an issue out of it (which in the end will only make money for your lawyer), or make a customer.

Terry

 

[AndyT]

This has just happened to me as well - a friend of mine spotted the pic I use as my avatar in a local diving magazine advertising a branch of a well known international dive agency. Still got to contact the owners to see what their response will be.