Someone took a photo from my portfolio on here and used it w/o permission?

[paradoxgirl]

Hi. I was wondering if any of you have ever had a problem with someone taking

one of your images from this site and using it on their own in something w/o

permission? I saw it on a google search...and linked to the site to see one the

shots from my portfolio on here (which is the only place I uploaded it) had been

used in some foreign publication from what it looks like. (found here--

http://www.prherald.hu/cikk2.php?idc=20071206-121740) I tried emailing the

contact person listed on the publication...with no response. Even though they

listed me as the photographer....is someone allowed to do that? I thought with

having it listed as copyrighted on here they cannot without written permission.

What adds to the problem is that they didn't even credit the photo correctly. I

stated clearly in the photo info the photographer name...as I was posting it

(WITH permission...) for someone else for feedback/critique. Has anyone else had

this happen? If so...what did you do about it? Thanks for any feedback.

Jodie

[raczoliver]

The article is in Hungarian. If there's any way I can help in communicating with them, let me know. It has never happened to me, and I really wouldn't like it to happen. Not because I want to make money with my pictures, I just want people to respect my work and ask me before they use them.

[JDMvW]

Well, the good news is you got a credit. The bad news is that of course it is neither moral nor legal to steal your picture even with credit. Trying to catch up with them, however, is tough, I hope Oliver can help you.

[les]

It appears they have a habit of doing that...not that I mind overmuch.

 

One of my pics is also there, and they did it before on at least one occassion.

The funny thing is I do not have a clue what these writings are all about :>)

[les]

Oops, forgot the link to the page:

 

http://www.prherald.hu/cikk2.php?idc=20070907-233927&id2=elso&idl=

[pjmeade]

I once found a gambling web site had used one of my shots; unfortunately, the shot had a creative commons copyright and they were entitled to use it providing they credited me.

 

Slightly OT, I was embarrassed to find that a PR agency I supply had used one of my shots and credited all of the shots in that newsletter to me.

[daverhaas]

There was a thread here a while ago about images being lifted off of the photo net site and posted on a Turkish or Russian site (the memory is the first thing to go, right?) It seemed that unlike this site, that one was copying whole portfolio's of work, again giving credit, but not checking with the owner to see if they could use the photo.

 

No Jodie - They are not supposed / allowed to do that. With that being said however, it is very difficult to prevent someone from doing it. Again the older thread talked about various ways to prevent theft, but I believe the conclusion was that once the photo is posted on-line, if someone really wants to copy the image, there is little that can be done to stop them.

 

Best hope is that the site owner understands copyright concepts and pulls the photo when requested or works out a deal for the continued use of the photo.

 

Dave

[alecee]

Welcome to the club! I have many images lifted into blogsites and the like this way but normally with credit given. There is only one Italian consultant firm which daringly displayed my image as the first page in their website. How can people trust and do business with them after that? As usual no replies after I contacted them and it too tedious to follow up legally with another country.

 

Just type out your full name Jodie-andrefiski, in Google search and you'll be amazed how many did it.

[raczoliver]

Oh my god, I just did a google search and found my photo as well. The website appears to be in Turkish, but I'm not 100% sure. They did credit the photo, though (otherwise I would not have found it).

[raczoliver]

And even better, the person who posted it is a member on photo.net!

[gordonjb]

Well, that was an eye opening experience. None of my stuff showed up on that site mentioned above but entire folders from PN of mine are linked to some Chinese site and individual images show up all over the place. At least for the few I looked at before boredom set in they had given credit. I had not realised how widespread this sort of thing is.

[hakon_soreide]

As long as images are posted not being for sale or advertising any other products or services, then that would - as far as I know - be fair use by most countries' legislation on copyright. I know that in Norway, where I live, you can get away with almost anything when it comes to editorial and artistic use of others' copyrighted material as long as it's available in the public domain, and made available there by the original copyright holder.<p>

When it comes to Alec's image used on the front page of an Italian consultant firm's website, from what I know of Italy, it would probably be a lot easier to just leave it alone. <p>

I guess it's on of the "hazards" of displaying one's images to the world. But I suppose most would prefer the occasional image theft to just hiding their images away in their desktop drawer, only for themselves to see.

[JDMvW]

There's a big difference between being "public" and being in the "public domain" -- would stealing a published photograph in a "public" (i.e., published) book, be legal in Norway? I think not, and I really doubt if you can freely use images that are clearly marked as copyrighted by the photographer as the images on this site are.

 

There is "fair use" and that is a gray area. You would have to know Hungarian to figure out if the uses on that site (above) are in that category or not. I confess that my knowledge of Finno-Ugric languages is too spotty for that.

[paradoxgirl]

Thanks everyone for your feedback. I had done a language translation search and figured out it was Hungarian. It wasn't a thorough translation...but it seems the article is something *health* related? I just think regardless...even if it IS on a public site...if it says "copyright" by someone..I agree with what most of you have said...whoever wants to use a photo should at least *ask* first.

 

and....I have heard NOTHING back from them after I emailed them.

[paradoxgirl]

Well...THIS IS RIDICULOUS! They used another one of mine SINCE I emailed them! Argh.

[paradoxgirl]

Oliver...do you have any suggestions? Any help even communicating with them would be great. The second photo that they used today *is* mine...but like I said...the first one isn't. I had posted it here FOR someone else (and DID give them credit in the title, copyright info and "other" section...and DID have their permission to post it). I just feel especially bad they are giving me credit for the first photo..and it isn't mine...they just swiped it off of my page.

[plottphoto]

Jodie... It looks like you have no recourse at all, unless you want to hire an attorney in Hungry and fight it. More than likely they will be forced to take it down and you will be out the money you paid to the attorney. International laws are crazy, it can even come down to the server level, if the server is hosted in a country that does not abide certain copyright laws, it's almost impossible to prosecute or make them take the images down. I am so sorry to see this happen to you because I can see the joy and passion you place into your work. Good luck and keep your chin up, at least they gave you credit.