Breach of Copyright/Image theft

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Dave Stone

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There have been a fare few threads on here about stolen images/images being used without consent. So, here are a few questions.

1. How do people find out their image has been used? Do you find out by pure chance?

2. What are the best ways to protect your online images?

3. Is there any software that can prevent images from being downloaded?
 
1) I find out on Facebook usually. This is mainly my nightclub work, people don't get that taking my photos and uploading them without giving me credit is theft. I almost always find out, and I've started being quite harsh with people about it.
2) You can add a copyright stamp/your logo to them, but people just crop them out. I'm considering adding a much bigger logo right through the middle of my photos.
3) No idea.
 
>>1. How do people find out their image has been used?

Server logs? Google the file name? lots of different ways, unfortunately there isn't a one size fits all solution to the problem.

>>2. What are the best ways to protect your online images?

Make them small and watermark them. That's it. If you want to get evidence that a picture is yours, send a CD of it recorded delivery to yourself and don't open the package (which should be completely sealed with Sellotape) until required in court.

>>3. Is there any software that can prevent images from being downloaded?

Nope. If they can see the pics on their computer screen they can get them - the data exists locally and local software can grab the information. Flickr try to stop the right click thing by putting a transparent gif over the pictures - all that is needed is a quick examination of the page source to see which image is required then that image is downloadable.

TBH If you are that precious about your pictures, don't put them online.

The alternative is my favoured method - just take pictures that no one wants to use :D
 
Dave Stone said:
3. Is there any software that can prevent images from being downloaded?
Click to expand...

Im sure there is something that prevents the 'right click save as' option.

Not sure what it is so im off to do a Google search :)
 
In order of asking
1. Yes
2. With great difficulty
3. No

I do actually go looking for some of my images, especially the uncropped version of my avatar which seems to be a favourite for people to "lift" for some reason. I use Piclens (Firefox add-on which is now called something else) as you can search Flickr and other photo sharing sites and Tineye which, if they ever get the whole web catalogued will be an incredible tool.

I do not think there is any 100% way to protect images (or anything for that matter). I tend to watermark mine, this does not stop theft and people can remove watermarks but it helps. Using flash can also help, but basically, if you can see it on the web it is get-at-able if you know what you are doing.
 
I just posted this in the other thread,

"The definition of theft is to:

dishonestly appropriate property belonging to another with the intention to permanently deprive. To be theft it has to fulfill all the definition and it doesn't so it isn't, sorry.

If the other person has submitted it for a competition or another thing where there is some payment or prize then there may well be a fraud issue but that would need looking into.

I would suggest that this is most likely going to be a solely civil matter. This is not a bad thing as, on that basis you can issue proceedings and they will have to come all the way to your court. Also the level of proof is lower requiring it to be proven on balance of probabilities rather than beyond all reasonable doubt. Also you get the compensation rather than the court imposing some fine or other retribution that just makes you feel happier."


Unfortunately its not really a police matter in most cases.

There is the option of using something like the script that we have been working on here.

There is another option though... It IS possible that someone else might take the exact same photograph! Sometimes the best vantage point for a shot is obvious and if it is a building or something like that then it reduces the variables further. It's a possibility but there are ways or checking but keeping to a low resolution certainly should prevent any magazine taking it on.
 
ConfusedChicca said:
1) I find out on Facebook usually. This is mainly my nightclub work, people don't get that taking my photos and uploading them without giving me credit is theft.
Click to expand...

It is not theft at all. Proof of theft involves proving an "intention to permanently deprive". Copying a photo is not permanently depriving you of anything.

The term "Copyright Theft" is completely incorrect and shouldn't be used - You can never have copyright in your original work taken away by anyone.

B.

EDIT: Doh! Beaten to the definition... :D I should be working not posting!
 
BenMottram said:
2. What are the best ways to protect your online images?

Make them small and watermark them. That's it. If you want to get evidence that a picture is yours, send a CD of it recorded delivery to yourself and don't open the package (which should be completely sealed with Sellotape) until required in court.
Click to expand...

Sending a CD to yourself isn't really of any use as anyone could send a CD to themself with the relevant image on it.

This method of "copyright protection" used to be used by songwriters in the olden days when they would send a recording to themselves to protect against someone plagiarizing their work - it's not relevant to photography.

When these cases used to go to court the copyright owner would usually have the relevant "negatives" containing the image in question as proof of copyright and ownership.

Nowadays, for digital images when these cases go to court it is the Exif information that is generally called upon to prove ownership as the photographer will have a selection of images all taken around the same time and showing the proper Exif information whereas someone taking and using the image without permission will not generally have access to the original images and cannot provide any other supporting images with the relevant Exif unless they have stolen a memory card or computer etc!

Most images stolen from online sources will no longer have the appropriate Exif information still intact.

There's no need to send anything to yourself and it proves nothing at all.

billyh42
elevation360
 
Sadly I have a 100% foolproof method of protecting my pictures. I simply don't post them or host them to anywhere other than my home server which is not connected to any Internet connection, or any other network for that matter.

The downside to this are many ...

- I lose out on any feedback which would help improve my abilities.
- I, at many times, feel like that I am being selfish in commenting on other's pictures while I don't post any of myown.


That aside, I feel safe in knowing that no one has a copy of my pictures .. and when the time is right, and should I be able to openup my own gallery, I will take measure to ensure that my pictures are only sold (if at all) in physical format that are too large to be scanned.
 
Long before scanners were invented people were doing flat copies of photos and it's still done today for larger artwork.
 
Wail said:
I, at many times, feel like that I am being selfish in commenting on other's pictures while I don't post any of myown.
Click to expand...

You've got that backwards! It would be selfish of you posting your own pictures expecting feedback when you dont comment on any others :)
 
snoop69 said:
Im sure there is something that prevents the 'right click save as' option.

Not sure what it is so im off to do a Google search :)
Click to expand...

You can disable the right click option but you can get round it. This subject has been talked about on here before so I don't think I'm spoiling anything by saying all you need to do is open a new window in the browser and then the right click function is activated again so you can click and save anyway.
 
Dave Stone said:
There have been a fare few threads on here about stolen images/images being used without consent. So, here are a few questions.

1. How do people find out their image has been used? Do you find out by pure chance?

2. What are the best ways to protect your online images?

3. Is there any software that can prevent images from being downloaded?
Click to expand...


I was told by someone that I had nicked an image when really it was identical to an image published months ago the only way I could get to the truth was to check exif data and it didnt match but placing one images side by side they were exactly the same so my advice is leave the data attached
 
You can strip the data from a picture though Dangermouse, so you'd not be able to tell anything about the shot if the 'other' person who was nicking images then stripped the EXIF from the shot.

The only good thing for a photo that you don't want stolen I think is a great big watermark or © sign and your name right over the main part of the image. This is harder to remove as it involves a lot of cloning and playing about - will the thief really want to go to all that trouble..... doubt it.
 
JPS said:
You can strip the data from a picture though Dangermouse, so you'd not be able to tell anything about the shot if the 'other' person who was nicking images then stripped the EXIF from the shot.

The only good thing for a photo that you don't want stolen I think is a great big watermark or © sign and your name right over the main part of the image. This is harder to remove as it involves a lot of cloning and playing about - will the thief really want to go to all that trouble..... doubt it.
Click to expand...

Not for one of my shots :lol:
 
I know some of the large stock libraries encode data into the image itself and then have bots which scour the web checking for stolen images.

A friend of mine got caught out doing a website for someone who had provided images saying they owned them, he got a nasty letter threatening court action or pay a hefty price for the image. He opted for the hefty price option.

I don't know if any of this sort of software is available to the public, would be useful though eh!!

As for images I post mine up and I guess they could well be being borrowed. I try not to put anything over 800px sq up though
 
I think theres a real danger of some folks taking themselves far too seriously in this thread.
 
pxl8 said:
Long before scanners were invented people were doing flat copies of photos and it's still done today for larger artwork.
Click to expand...


Very true, but that's a different ball game I figure. To get scanner that scan something that's 3' x 7' is not as easy as clicking a few mouse clicks on any computer and rip-off a picture.
 
just because there is a law relating to something does not mean that the police will deal. There are numerous laws where the police are not the people with the responsibility examples include: most non vehicular noise nuisance which comes under environmental health; benefit fraud which is dealt with by the benefits agency; counterfeit goods which are dealt with by trading standards etc. Whole chunks of copyright legislation are dealt with normally by trading standards but police will deal with certainly deal with some copyright legislation but not really this. There is a lot of overlap between criminal and civil law and often you need to consider what fits best. The given examples of individual photographs used without permission are best dealt with via civil means. The level of proof becomes 'on balance of probability' and the civil court can then hand out an approprate compensation package. I deal with first instance reports from members of the public everyday in relation to a whole host of complaints that may or may not be criminal and there is often a fine line. I would suggest that the civil route is best though for anything of this nature.
 
Betty said:
You've got that backwards! It would be selfish of you posting your own pictures expecting feedback when you dont comment on any others :)
Click to expand...


Thank you for saying that .. your comments do take some of the pressure off of me, I hope that others have the same point of view.

Still, I do wish I was brave enough to post my pictures online .. but the fear of theft, and my love of the old-ways of doing things (contact and proof sheets) keeps me from posting. I did think of getting Photoshop to add the transparent layer (which is something akin to what Fliker is using) .. but that is so easy bypassed.
 
Worth mentioning that facebook's policy on copyright infringement is very good and they will remove images when they're reported. I found a couple last month and fb removed them within a couple of days. Of course I did get a torrent of abuse from the user once they'd been removed but then I expected that :lol:
 
Dave Stone said:
There have been a fare few threads on here about stolen images/images being used without consent. So, here are a few questions.

1. How do people find out their image has been used? Do you find out by pure chance?



normally pure chance or someone see it and tells you

2. What are the best ways to protect your online images?

not unless you put a stupidly big signature over it. if in doubt don't upload


3. Is there any software that can prevent images from being downloaded?

no because you just just take a screen grap and paste into a photoshop
Click to expand...
 
It's even more annoying when they clone your photo out and nick your watermark. :D
 
The truth of the matter is if someone wants your images they're going to get them. Some people don't care that they are stealing another artists hard work.

I recently bought website templates and found images with istockphoto watermarks. I reported the guy but Istock doesn't seem to care. If they do then they're being super quiet, which I think is a mistake.

If I were in istock's compliance department I would want to be able to post this guys picture in the "most wanted" section. I've made videos about the image theft, reported they guy, and a month later he's at it again.

Are any of the artists here contributors at istock?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEOHg5QRCwQ

I've made other videos but this one kind of sums it up and it shows his latest abuse. Some people are just plain ole scumbags.
 
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