Facebook Page using my image and refuse to remove it.

[leslienicolephoto]

<p>This week, a friend told me that a site was using one of my images as their profile image.</p>

<p>I sent them a friendly message saying I appreciate their liking the image, but that it was mine and to please remove it.</p>

<p>Their first response was that they found it on Google, and there was no copyright on the image, therefor it was copyright free. I sent them links to where I have the image on my Flickr page and the copyright notice next to it. Unfortunately, years ago when I first started uploading images, I didn't put watermarks on my images. Now I always do. This image was taken 4 years ago.</p>

<p>They refuse to remove it and keep demanding that I give them the copyright registration number. I've sent them things that show that a work is copyrighted when it is created and they still refuse to remove it. They even stated that even if that is the law in America, it doesn't pertain to the world and they are in Mexico.</p>

<p>Yeah, this is showing me that it's time to go through and replace all images that are not watermarked and to start registering my images. I started a business and I've been so incredibly busy the past years I've had little time for maintaining my own images.</p>

<p>This is the first time I've had someone refuse to remove an image, so it's a wake up call to clean up my online presence and take care of copyright registrations.</p>

<p>Anyway, besides the obvious lessons to be learned here - what should I do now?</p>

<p>Should I report the image to Facebook as a violation?</p>

<p>Should I first register the image just to be on the safe side?</p>

<p>I'm so upset and angry over their refusal to acknowledge my rights to my image, but I know that I may need to step back and think about if it's better to take the high road in this case or to stick in there. It's getting really ugly.</p>

<p>As further information - this image is more than just a snapshot. It's clearly an intentional image and was requested by Getty. I didn't want to do an exclusive contract at this time - but just to illustrate that this could have been an image where I had an exclusive license contract.</p>

[nathansanborn]

<p>You can send a DMCA takedown notice to the web host, in this case probably Facebook. I would google "DMCA" to get more information.</p>

[john_h.1]

<blockquote>

<p>"Should I report the image to Facebook as a violation?"</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Although your description indicates the website, itself, is posting the image, the story appears to be that one of its users are. Look up the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) takedown notice procedure for infringing use of images. Also consult the facebook link below for more specific detail on how to use that for their site</p>

<p>https://www.facebook.com/help/400287850027717<br /><br /><br /></p>

[Ian Taylor]

<p>Write to them and ask them to remove it, usually this works. </p>

[leslienicolephoto]

<p>Ian, I have written to them, I've sent them links showing it's mine, I've sent them links to copyright laws. They are still refusing. This is the first time someone has refused to remove an image.</p>

[leslienicolephoto]

<p>Update. I filed a report to Facebook and they removed it.</p>

[danmarchant]

<p>That is the quickest and easiest thing to do in this sort of situation.</p>