Your Dover - stolen photos
- 4 August 2010 13:0463944Just persuing Your Dover (KOS Media) and AGAIN I have found a photo of mine STOLEN for their publication:
My original image - http://www.flickr.com/photos/doverpast/95731098/
How often do they do this, if this is TWO of mine own now that I have accidentally spotted ?Been nice knowing you :) - 4 August 2010 13:53639551 - Don't put them on Flickr!
but as you did and they nicked them (as can be done with pics on most sites, including this one!)
2 - Send them a big invoice. As they took them without permission and didn't negotiate a fee, set your usual fee as a starting point for negotiations (£1,000 should do, a lot but not out of the realms of possibility), give them 30 days to pay and if they don't then tell them you're pursuing them through the small claims court.
3 - If you don't already, embed a copyright notice in the EXIF data of the images as they're taken, you should be able to find out how to do this from the camera manual, it usually involves connecting the camera to your PC with the camera software on and going into the tools menu.
On a similar note, I had an email from www.kentattractions.co.uk yesterday who have a connection with visitkent. They have a photo competition going for the best pics of their members attractions, but in the terms and conditions they have -
"By entering the competition, the Association of Tourist Attractions in Kent (ATAK) obtains full copyright of the submitted entries. All entrants grant the Association of Tourist Attractions in Kent (ATAK) a worldwide royalty free perpetual licence to publish and use entries in any media (including online) for publicity and news purposes"
Most of their members have provided the prizes, so for free they get an archive of photos of Kent to use themselves and sell around the world. A nice scam and I had pleasure in telling them so! - 4 August 2010 13:5763956
Cheap journalism these days, sit in front of a computer, don't go out and just Google.. the chances of getting caught out is low !!Been nice knowing you :) - 4 August 2010 14:0363957This happens all too frequently it seems. I know Jeane has complained about people using her images without permission. I suppose you might start by asking Flickr some questions even though your pages are clearly marked with copyright and licencing information. A complaint to KOS might elicit an apology but I wouldn't hold my breath.
My feeling, though, is that if you're prepared to put your images into the public domain via a free service such as Flickr then expect them to be "half-inched" by someone. Even with sites that prohibit or even block image downloads it's remarkably easy to do - just hit the "Print Screen" button your keyboard and paste into your favourite art package.
The only way I can think off to prevent image use and republication is to watermark the image in such a way that whatever use is made of it the watermark will be visible - usually right across the middle of the subject!Phil West
If at first you don't succeed, use a BIGGER hammer!! - 4 August 2010 15:4263975Thats appalling...really is. Its a fear we have too as have had stuff lifted but thankfully not used in a newspaper feature. As Ray says in item 2 of his post, you must invoice them without delay Paul.
I noticed in your new aerial images Paul you have put your name on them...I would like to do that too, I did once recently as a tester on a frontpage pic of a spitfire.email: dover7@msn.com - 4 August 2010 15:4763977Yes it is a shame Paul - I expect things to go walkies for the odd website or blog, but when it is something commercial (that should know better) that is where i have an issue
Watermarks are the best idea, but I don't like them as they tend to ruin the imagesBeen nice knowing you :) - 4 August 2010 16:0563982Paul I sympathise I really do. In the last 12 months I have had 29 © photos stolen by various individuals and websites. I now serve them with a DMCA take down notice (Digital Millennium Copyright Act) in a stern e mail saying take it down or else. I find it usually does the trick. I don't put photos on Flickr but have had them taken from myspace and facebook and some from my website.
I have to say it's pretty bad of KOS though. - 4 August 2010 16:0863983Paul, have e mailed you.
- 4 August 2010 17:3563992uhhhoohhh... i have just admitted to lovely Paul I have borrowed one of his pics for my wedding table names... ohh dear...
*takes cover* - 4 August 2010 17:3963994I hope he gets an invitation to the wedding then!!Phil West
If at first you don't succeed, use a BIGGER hammer!! - 4 August 2010 17:4263996he has!! ... and he loves me really.. and I put his name on it at the bottom... :) I didnt have a good enough one of the Castle and knew he would be flattered really because frankly his pics are better than mine..
Ohh Phil I got one for you!! Shall upload it in a bit, took it at stupid o'clock this am!!
And he has already forgiven me.. and is sending round the baliffs a little later.....
he hehee.... - 4 August 2010 22:2764034Paul
I sympathise even more so when its a company that does know better, however its something that happens all to often these days.
Many of you dont know me (I don't frequent here that often) but I am a professional photographer based in Whitfield and this kind of thing sadly happens all the time.
You have to ways to combat this, the softly softly or the hard nosed way and it depends on what you want out of it and what your photography means to you. The softly softly approach is simply to contact them point out that you know what they have done and ask for a credit and a public appology usually you will be offered some monetary compensation as they will feel a little guilty at being caught out. If however you sell your images or its your living as it is mine, just putting in a ridiculasly huge invoice wont do anything if you dont already have a pricing structure other than to cause friction. I speak with alot of other pros aropund the UK and the comman consensus is to markup by 300% on your normal advertised prices and demand payment within 14 days or that the image be revoked. Then if nothing happens its off to your lawyer to have them send a polite legal letter (it seems heavy but I have had to do this and it usually does the trick)
To nip all this in the bud I have a general rule of thumb if the image is personal or acts as PR I am happy to upload it to sites such as Flickr.
I do watermark all my images and have pretty detailed exif information as well. On my business site I tend not to as the images I use are very specific, but in client galleries I use a Flash based gallery which doesn't make it impossible for people to get images but makes it harder to do so.
If you want any more pointers please feel free to get in touch I am happy to share some of the tricks I know with you. - Ross Miller
- Location: London Road, Dover
- Registered: 17 Sep 2008
- Posts: 3,701
4 August 2010 22:3464036Thanks Matt some useful tips there - I generally do not post my photos on sites like flickr, instead use my own website/blog, but post lower quality jpegs with full exif info, partly to keep my hosting/bandwidth costs down but also to discourage people nicking them. Most of my photos are posted under a creative commons licence / copyright clause allowing non commercial re-use as is, with full accreditation of course, but no commercial use or use in derivative works without full written consent etc.
Ray for the same reasons I never post my photos to people like the BBC or enter competitions where ownership of the photo passes to the organisers"Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today." - James Dean
"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength,
While loving someone deeply gives you courage" - Laozi - 4 August 2010 22:4464039Hi Matt - thanks for the pointer. I am not at all in it for the money, my photos are just for fun and it is just nice to get my name in a book/website/paper. I like to learn from people images and to teach from mine (I am Doverpast on Flickr)
In fact this evening I have also reported to Facebook a whole album of my photos that was stolen and posted up without consent too !!Been nice knowing you :) - 4 August 2010 22:5064041This sort of thing is just not good enough, to copy someone's photo without permission. Good idea to send them a bill !---------------------------------------------------
Lincolnshire Born and Bred - 4 August 2010 23:0864050Paul
Sorry I should have said I had already twigged who you were
@Ross Theres nothing wrong with posting on sites like Fliker (I acutally get work form it!) but the thing to remember is how much do you wish to give away you may find http://www.tineye.com/ as usefull website - 5 August 2010 08:3264070Totally agree with you you have said Matt, especially re loading photos to sites like Flickr only if they are PR. By the way I like your site, Project 52 is great.
- 5 August 2010 17:3464133Thanks Jeane always nice to hear what people think good or bad
- 5 August 2010 17:4564136Paul
Not good, especially from a local newspaper who should know better. It is easy to contact a photo owner via Flickr to ask permission. Like you say in post 14, you would be happy with a mention (presumably a few quid would not be refused) so would not cost them a fortune.
I would not expect that you'll get a lot of help from facebook but, you never know! They will just claim they have no control over what users post.
As far as I know only a single image of mine has been taken from Flickr without permission, but I can never really know for sure.
However, hope you get results from KOS Media and facebook.www.kenrbaker.co.uk - Photo Gallery - 5 August 2010 17:5264145I have to say facebook were helpful in my case. A group had used 3 of my photos without permission and I also noticed a couple of other photos belonging to somebody else. I reported them and a few e mails later got the group closed down. A similar problem on myspace proved to be a long winded affair and one case is still ongoing. Now I don't put anything precious on there!
