Should I be Flattered or Furious?

[shootr]

I like your spirit Froufie, glad you took the time to bring this up.

[manmtnmike]

Pictures you take are covered by the copyright laws just as much as any taken by a professional photographer. Someone using your pictures without your permission is violating that law, especially if they are using your pictures for commercial purposes.

 

Goodluck with enforcement and prosecution...

If you have not experienced any personal loss or damage, it is just

acedemic, and makes for great Cruise Critic discussion;)

 

Watermarks on pics are easy to do...

Just hold an eyedropper filled with water, hold it carefully over the photo,

squeeze-out one drop of water, and let set overnight.;):D

 

MMMike

[jules1121]

It would really irk me if that happened but not as bad as if it were personal pics. I like the idea of just posting lower resolution photos to cut down on the problem.

 

Did you know with Shutterfly, you can access not only pictures in your own FB albums but the albums of your friends to use for making files and albums. :eek: I

[sparks1093]

Goodluck with enforcement and prosecution...

If you have not experienced any personal loss or damage, it is just

acedemic, and makes for great Cruise Critic discussion;)

 

Watermarks on pics are easy to do...

Just hold an eyedropper filled with water, hold it carefully over the photo,

squeeze-out one drop of water, and let set overnight.;):D

 

MMMike

 

I agree with the first paragraph of your post and LOL at the second:D.

[redneony]

It would depend on how emotionally attached I was to the photos. If they were just normal ol' vacation shots, I would probably be flattered. But if they were bordering on professional, stick-em-in-a-frame-and-make-prints-for-deviant-art good, I'd be pretty mad. Going through graphic design school, we had anti-plagiarism laws pounded into our heads so deeply that this kind of thing sort of leaves an instinctual bitter taste in my mouth. :(

[meekaG]

once i was looking on perzhilton and noticed that one of my pictures was used!! first i thought it was really cool but then i realized that the picture was taken off of my facebook by someone i was facebook friends with, which was really creepy!!

[*Mach*]

I take pictures of a lot of my cabins. The site that stole my pictures is also well known on here. It seems the wrong way to grow a site to have to steal pictures posted on CC.

 

 

Yep... very similar... The site offered to pay me for the images but they had apparently been using them for nearly a year without my permission... nope... take 'em down...

[italianfemmy]

Okay, first of all, this is why I have my logo on every single photo I post online including in my signature photos and photos I post to CC. It doesn't matter to me if the photo is personal or professional. It's my photo. I make the decision to take my time to edit, crop, resize for web, pay for hosting so that bandwidth won't be exceeded and people can enjoy them and then post them up for everyone's viewing pleasure. If I found my photos on someone elses travel blog without crediting me as the artist, I would be upset. I would email them and tell them that they have 48 hours to remove the photos from their blog/site and if they didn't do so, I would contact the legal team at PPA and have them take care of it for me.

 

Even with watermarks on images, it doesn't prevent people from cropping your watermark out or from editing it out (if they're good enough.) The only true prevention to this is a huge watermark going straight through the middle of the most important part of the photo but that becomes tacky and then what's the point in sharing the photos really?

 

By law, even as an amateur photographer or hobbyist, you are protected against this. If they have posted your photos without your permission (even if they've given you credit), then they have broken the law. You are 100% within your legal rights to demand that they take them down if they refuse to do so after your very polite asking of such.

 

I would LOVE to have all of the most current awesome music on my website. But I can't because it's protected by copyright law too. I respect that and only use music which I can obtain a music license agreement for (and they're expensive). But I play by the rules and respect the artistic integrity of the musicians. I expect others to respect my artistic inegrity and copyright as well. You have the right to do the same. And that doesn't make you uptight or anything else. You also have the right to not care and to be flippant about it if they have absolutely no meaning to you.

 

We had another photography company steal screenshot images off of our website and create a photography website using our images to sell their services about 3 years back. Luckily, we have a team of attorneys that took care of this for us rather quickly. But we have no idea how long they had that site up. We were livid as it was not only wrong for them to do that to us but wrong for the clients that potentially hired them thinking they were going to get our level of quality and work. Granted, this is on the professional end of things.

 

Let us know how it goes and if you need any more advice on how to proceed with this from a legal rights perspective, I'd be happy to help you draft an email to them that should nip this fairly quickly as they're breaking the law.

[*Mach*]

Legally, the pictures are yours, protected by copyright, unless you gave up those rights when you posted them online originally. You'll have to check the terms of the site that's hosting your pictures to determine that.

 

Practically, unless this is a commercial site, I wouldn't make a big deal about it. If someone is trying to make money off his travel "expertise," directly or indirectly, I would say something about it. If it's a howdy to his friends and this is what I did on vacation, I'd let it drop and pat yourself on the back for being an inspiration.

 

 

That is exactly correct. You don't need to register a work for it to be copyrighted... once a work is created and 'fixed' in a 'tangible' form, in other words published, copyright protections exist. Registering a work with the Copyright Office is necessary before damages can be collected in an infringement case...

[italianfemmy]

That is exactly correct. You don't need to register a work for it to be copyrighted... once a work is created and 'fixed' in a 'tangible' form, in other words published, copyright protections exist. Registering a work with the Copyright Office is necessary before damages can be collected in an infringement case...

 

 

I'll third opinion and confirm this. :-)

[redneony]

 

We had another photography company steal screenshot images off of our website and create a photography website using our images to sell their services about 3 years back. Luckily, we have a team of attorneys that took care of this for us rather quickly. But we have no idea how long they had that site up. We were livid as it was not only wrong for them to do that to us but wrong for the clients that potentially hired them thinking they were going to get our level of quality and work. Granted, this is on the professional end of things.

 

 

We're getting married in September, so we've been scouting wedding photographers at all our local bridal expos for the past couple months. The first booth I came to had a big photo of a couple kissing in the middle of a street downtown. I thought it was really cool and kept this company in mind.

 

And then I saw the same photo at another booth.

 

And then another.

 

I have no idea who actually took this photo, but apparently I wasn't the only one who really liked it. If I was the photographer, I would have been FURIOUS. I saw this photo in three different booths AT THE SAME EXPO and nobody was saying anything about it... :confused:

[zqvol]

this is why you should watermark all of your pictures or put your name in the corner.

 

 

Just as easy to remove as they are to put on.

[PictureChris]

As someone who makes part of my living off photography, I would have been flattered had they asked AND given photo credit.

 

Froufie, you must link to the thread/blog, pretty please!

 

It pisses me off when people advise others to sneak a camera into the photo gallery on the ship and take pictures of pictures.

[italianfemmy]

We're getting married in September, so we've been scouting wedding photographers at all our local bridal expos for the past couple months. The first booth I came to had a big photo of a couple kissing in the middle of a street downtown. I thought it was really cool and kept this company in mind.

 

And then I saw the same photo at another booth.

 

And then another.

 

I have no idea who actually took this photo, but apparently I wasn't the only one who really liked it. If I was the photographer, I would have been FURIOUS. I saw this photo in three different booths AT THE SAME EXPO and nobody was saying anything about it... :confused:

 

You've got to be kidding? Wow.. that is nuts! We don't do bridal expos hardly at all because we just don't have the time to prepare for them since we're pretty busy all the time. But I have been to a couple of them and never seen this happen. I cannot imagine it. Do you live in a really small town?

 

How can any bride trust to hire any of them knowing most of them are stealing images that they cannot possibly recreate? Nuts!

 

P.S. Congrats on your engagement!

[italianfemmy]

As someone who makes part of my living off photography, I would have been flattered had they asked AND given photo credit.

 

Froufie, you must link to the thread/blog, pretty please!

 

It pisses me off when people advise others to sneak a camera into the photo lab and take pictures of pictures.

 

You mean pictures of the pictures on the cruise ship? Lol. That doesn't tick me off but definitely entertains me since they would be of absolutely horrid quality. The photos on the ship already aren't that great and then you're taking a photo of the photo which will make it even less dimensional and well.. etc. etc. Haha. I had no clue people did this. Thanks for giving me a great laugh of the day!

 

I, too, would love to see this persons blog.

[PictureChris]

You mean pictures of the pictures on the cruise ship? Lol. That doesn't tick me off but definitely entertains me since they would be of absolutely horrid quality. The photos on the ship already aren't that great and then you're taking a photo of the photo which will make it even less dimensional and well.. etc. etc. Haha. I had no clue people did this. Thanks for giving me a great laugh of the day!

 

I, too, would love to see this persons blog.

 

 

Ya, I meant to say in the photo gallery on the ship.

 

I clicked on froufies name and chose see all posts by this person. It was easy to find where she posted her question asking if the person either borrowed a few of her pics or was sitting on her shoulders taking pics at the exact same time (no she didn't say the shoulders part).

 

Her post was two days ago and it seems to have been a thread killer, nothing posted since then.

[blondietink]

I would be furious and that person needs to take those epics off their review immediately!

 

Sent from my Kindle Fire using Tapatalk

[zqvol]

After looking at both reviews, my question is who used whose pictures? Both reviews had well over 200 photos and 3 of them were the same. I thinking OP is making way too much of nothing.

[Swampbaby]

"I've made websites and have used pictures from websites on those and even school projects and didn't ask for permission. I don't take pictures from peoples blogs or photo galleries though."

 

When our son was doing school projects he would find pictures on the web AND MAKE CONTACT WITH THE OWNER (as the person taking the picture IS the owner) and ask permission to use and what it was for. He has received some very nice replies with the statement "it's nice to know you realize you should ask permission to use another person's property". He was NEVER refused permission to use a picture. If he was unable to make contact he would NOT use the picture.

[aidansaunt2004]

I would be upset if someone used my photos even if it was only one photo. Getting your permission first is one thing but trying to pass the photos off as your own is another.

 

I know I personally take the time to pick the perfect scenery, lighting etc. when I take photos so there is time and effort put into it. For another person to attempt to claim my photos would be beyond irritating.

 

This is one of the reasons I don't upload my photos to sites creating public albums. My photos are only available on my Facebook page which is kept private and I've edited my sharing options so only select people can see them. I've even removed my name from the "search" option so nobody can find my page.

[redneony]

You've got to be kidding? Wow.. that is nuts! We don't do bridal expos hardly at all because we just don't have the time to prepare for them since we're pretty busy all the time. But I have been to a couple of them and never seen this happen. I cannot imagine it. Do you live in a really small town?

 

How can any bride trust to hire any of them knowing most of them are stealing images that they cannot possibly recreate? Nuts!

 

P.S. Congrats on your engagement!

 

 

Thanks ;)

 

So I sort of feel like I'm addressing a celebrity - I've been lurking silently in your photo reviews. Love 'em. Just had to say it. :D

 

We live in Indiana (cue the groans!) The expos came to a few different towns in the area. A couple were here in the Fort, one was in Auburn. A small handful of my high school friends, including one ex-boyfriend and the reason he left me (and became a husband), have photography companies around here. It seems like everyone and their brother and sister do wedding photos. Do all of them do it well? Uh....

 

.....around here it is the norm to price compare at expos and find that every studio is charging a $1k base rate. I know a lot of these people personally and know that their level of experience does not equal a $1k price point. So perhaps that's the reason behind the famous kissing couple downtown..... there's nothing to do in Indiana, but everyone, myself included, always has a camera in their purse (or European shoulder bag), waiting for the off-chance that something might happen. Thing is, I know I'm not a professional. :p One of my best friends takes photos every day and posts them on Facebook. Thousands. She's one of "those" people who take a picture of the Campbell's chicken noodle in a pot on the stove.

[remharri]

"I've made websites and have used pictures from websites on those and even school projects and didn't ask for permission. I don't take pictures from peoples blogs or photo galleries though."

 

When our son was doing school projects he would find pictures on the web AND MAKE CONTACT WITH THE OWNER (as the person taking the picture IS the owner) and ask permission to use and what it was for. He has received some very nice replies with the statement "it's nice to know you realize you should ask permission to use another person's property". He was NEVER refused permission to use a picture. If he was unable to make contact he would NOT use the picture.

 

I understand that, but thats what a work cited is for and should be included in every school project, especially if it's the college level, they have really cracked down on that type of stuff.

[italianfemmy]

"I've made websites and have used pictures from websites on those and even school projects and didn't ask for permission. I don't take pictures from peoples blogs or photo galleries though."

 

When our son was doing school projects he would find pictures on the web AND MAKE CONTACT WITH THE OWNER (as the person taking the picture IS the owner) and ask permission to use and what it was for. He has received some very nice replies with the statement "it's nice to know you realize you should ask permission to use another person's property". He was NEVER refused permission to use a picture. If he was unable to make contact he would NOT use the picture.

 

Were you quoting someone else with the "I've made websites and used pictures from websites and didn't ask for permission?" Or was that you saying that you personally do this??

 

As for your son, that's great. And while some people will downright refuse others to use their images for any purpose at all even when they're asked, others will allow it. We've had people ask to use our photos for billboards, magazine spreads, blogs (especially tumblr blogs), for their business cards (photos we've taken of cakes, flowers etc and the baker, florist wants to use them), etc. Or brides that want to use them on their inspiration blogs for their own weddings. Just had someone email me and ask me if they could use one of our photos from a zombie shoot on a flyer to promote a special night at their club. We always say yes if we're asked politely provided they leave our image credit on the photos. And in most cases, we don't even charge for commercial use.

 

Some people say it's better to do something and apologize later than to ask for permission and be denied. For me, the level of how ticked off I would be would depend on how it was portrayed... whether or not it seemed as if a person was trying to claim my work as their own in some fashion and then my reaction and action would follow suit with that.

[remharri]

Thanks ;)

 

So I sort of feel like I'm addressing a celebrity - I've been lurking silently in your photo reviews. Love 'em. Just had to say it. :D

 

We live in Indiana (cue the groans!) The expos came to a few different towns in the area. A couple were here in the Fort, one was in Auburn. A small handful of my high school friends, including one ex-boyfriend and the reason he left me (and became a husband), have photography companies around here. It seems like everyone and their brother and sister do wedding photos. Do all of them do it well? Uh....

 

.....around here it is the norm to price compare at expos and find that every studio is charging a $1k base rate. I know a lot of these people personally and know that their level of experience does not equal a $1k price point. So perhaps that's the reason behind the famous kissing couple downtown..... there's nothing to do in Indiana, but everyone, myself included, always has a camera in their purse. Thing is, I know I'm not a professional. :p

 

I second that, Indiana is huge for wedding photographers. I'm not real sure how many people I went to high school with and have their own company doing weddings and other things. Seems like the popular career of choice. Whether they are good or not is another story....lol

[italianfemmy]

Thanks ;)

 

So I sort of feel like I'm addressing a celebrity - I've been lurking silently in your photo reviews. Love 'em. Just had to say it. :D

 

We live in Indiana (cue the groans!) The expos came to a few different towns in the area. A couple were here in the Fort, one was in Auburn. A small handful of my high school friends, including one ex-boyfriend and the reason he left me (and became a husband), have photography companies around here. It seems like everyone and their brother and sister do wedding photos. Do all of them do it well? Uh....

 

.....around here it is the norm to price compare at expos and find that every studio is charging a $1k base rate. I know a lot of these people personally and know that their level of experience does not equal a $1k price point. So perhaps that's the reason behind the famous kissing couple downtown..... there's nothing to do in Indiana, but everyone, myself included, always has a camera in their purse. Thing is, I know I'm not a professional. :p

 

Haha. I am hardly a celebrity. You can feel free to talk to me anywhere including in my review. :-) I still cannot believe that 3 of them were using the same photo. I wonder if any of them even knew! How embarassing! lol.

 

The average price point there for a good photographer is 1k? Or is that a starting price for your run of the mill photographer? Our rates start significantly higher than that and for the amount of work I do, I cannot imagine charging less regardless of what market it is. I wonder if it's the norm for your area? I hope you were able to find someone fantastic to document your big day! I wish I'd been to that bridal expo you went to - I'd have walked up to them and been like "Excuse me, is this really your image or is it xyz's image on aisle 4, booth 12? Or how about abc's image on aisle 2, booth 6?" Haha.