Stolen Photographs - What Can I Do?

Pollywog · 5 Feb 2010

awp · 5 Feb 2010

It is difficult when the site is not in the UK - but you could approach their hosting company and advise them of the situation - I'm not sure that they are not partially resposible as the ultimate 'publisher' of the website - they will most likely have the pics renoved. For that numer it's almost worth going over there and making a fuss - we are taking £80 ish per pic - x 110 - that's a lot.

Danger_Mouse · 5 Feb 2010

i dont have any advice, but hope you ge the matter sorted.

strobemonkey · 5 Feb 2010

Sorry I cant be of any help, but before you do anything, make a screen grab of every page they used your images in, and also have it printed.

Steep · 5 Feb 2010

Approach a Dutch lawyer, maybe a letter from a Dutch legal firm will get the hosting company of their backsides.

Sparkles33 · 5 Feb 2010

Don't know what to say and no advice, I'm sorry, but I'm shocked - and shocked at how your name has simply been covered or whatever. Gobsmacked and really hope that you get it sorted. Sadly I think you may need legal representation. There was a story of a couple a while ago whose photo was used in a forign country in advertising, without permission (they had copyright, their pic that they took) that was sucessful, so hopefully this will be the same

JasonRS · 5 Feb 2010

You're protected by the EU copyright directive even though it's a Dutch site.

As above, take captures of all the pages, then send them a bill for unauthorised use, with an additional option for future use.

If they don't comply, you can hten pursue further. A big invoice may be enough to cause them to take the images down.

I ran one through tin eye and it came up on 3 of their subdomains too.

chi11er · 5 Feb 2010

Whilst I have no advise, can I ask that you post what you do and how you progress.

Legal copyright issues trans-border in the EU are a mystery for most hobby and semi-pro photogs and any learning would be of value.

I hope you resolve it to your satisfaction.

King_Boru · 5 Feb 2010

I speak and write fluent Dutch if you would like my assistance?

photon · 5 Feb 2010

The last modified date for the first example is 04 Feb 2008 - so two years' proven use.

You can delve further at http://www.archive.org/web/web.php

Your MEPs may be able to help; listed here: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/membe....do?country=GB&zone=West+Midlands&language=EN

Busby · 5 Feb 2010

That really is shocking, I've never heard of image theft on such a large scale...I really do feel for you mate.
I'm sorry I can't offer any advice but I truly hope you manage to get it sorted.

As a matter of interest, how did you find the site?
Did you just come across it while browsing or did you use software like TinEye or similar?

Anthony

ecoleman · 5 Feb 2010

This may be worth a read

http://www.oldwelshguy.co.uk/web-marketing/beating-the-content-thieves-stolen-website-content/

Pollywog · 5 Feb 2010

Thank you for the suggestions so far guys, I'll read through some of the links and other suggestions in a moment. I've just taken a load of screen grabs from the site - even after changing my resolution so I could get 3 pics on one screen grab it still took me 50 to get them all.

I actually came across the site after I had a go at a guy here in England for using one of my pics to sell some frogs on his website, he then informed me he stole it from these guys and not from me.

The newest photograph they've used was taken by me in 2007/2008, the earliest probably around 2005, I took them all off my site when Lycos webhosting shut down in January last year and I moved to Strato so they clearly stole them some time ago.

awp · 5 Feb 2010

This has happened to me a lot - although not on such a large scale. The only offence I have detected on a foreign site has been the only time I have been unsuccessful in recovering payment.

I wish you well.

nikolarun · 6 Feb 2010

I feel your pain, i've had this happen to me a number of times.
I'd suggest you watermark your images.

LemmingLover · 6 Feb 2010

JasonRS said:
You're protected by the EU copyright directive even though it's a Dutch site.

As above, take captures of all the pages, then send them a bill for unauthorised use, with an additional option for future use.

If they don't comply, you can hten pursue further. A big invoice may be enough to cause them to take the images down.

I ran one through tin eye and it came up on 3 of their subdomains too.

Good advice. Very often an invoice makes things more real for people like this and then puts a value on the scale of their theft. It will be much easier to get the attention of any lawyer or even the Police if you can show a figure on what has been stolen from you.

Also - I work just over an hour down the road from there. For the right price I'll go and kick his windows in

chris_f · 8 Feb 2010

Speak with these guys.... http://www.ipo.gov.uk/home.htm

Matt · 8 Feb 2010

well they will have lots of traffic coming in so only a matter of time before they cotton on to the fact that they have been rumbled.

AndyWest · 9 Feb 2010

Send them a bill !!!!

jcoutts · 10 Feb 2010

Hi

Don't know if this will help but here is the domain information for the people that host the site. Try going to the source. I'm sure they wouldn't be too happy to know, or be party, to one of their customers hosting illegal or copyright images. Send them an example as you have above.

I would certainly contact:- http://www.ipo.gov.uk/home.htm as per Chris F advice

Domain name: boiga.nl
Status: active

Registrar:
Argeweb - Contact Info is:- info@argeweb.nl
Noordzee 10 d
3144DB MAASSLUIS
Netherlands

Domain nameservers:
ns.argewebhosting.nl 195.86.22.130
ns0.argewebhosting.nl 195.86.22.131
ns3.argewebhosting.nl 213.222.11.250

Record maintained: NL Domain Registry

My dutch isn't too good either, but you could translate the site through Babelfish or something similar :lol:

and I'm sure their English will be O.K.

Best of Luck -

zarozinia · 16 Feb 2010

Hi Andrew

Ive had someone contact me regarding my images being on this site too, only in the last week, but I cannot get the site to load for me. Hopefully its been taken down, but if it hasnt and they have used my images too then I will join forces with you in this one as between us we probably have one of the largest collection of amphibian images in the UK.
Angi Nelson ( from the reptile zone)

photon · 16 Feb 2010

zarozinia said:
I cannot get the site to load for me. Hopefully its been taken down

It's still up & slithering :thumbsdown:

jerry12953 · 16 Feb 2010

Try contacting www.own-it.org

They are IP specialists, and should be avble to suggest exactly what to do. Although they won't do it for you, unfortunately....

The advice is FOC.

sitemaster · 16 Feb 2010

this happens to someone I know all the time, so he's got pages on his site showing the theft and saying how dishonest the people are. He spends a lot of time updating those pages

RichHobson · 17 Feb 2010

Shocking to see on such a scale. Let us know if you do or don't get a resolution as it may help people in future.

Somelier · 17 Feb 2010

I had some of my pics pirated by a guy in Australia who has used them on his site. Several requests have been ignored, so I now put a large watermark on all my web pics. While it does detract from the quality of the image, it is impossible to remove:

Pollywog · 28 Feb 2010

Thank you everyone for your input and suggestions, I think I'm going to speak to a couple of the people linked and maybe a solicitor - see if I can get some professional advise before I do anything else.

Angi, I don't see anything on the site that I would link to being yours, not amphib wise anyway.

nikolarun · 18 May 2012

did you get anywhere with this ?

Steep · 18 May 2012

He hasn't posted for two years so I doubt you'll get an answer to that.

Stolen Photographs - What Can I Do?

Pollywog

awp

Danger_Mouse

strobemonkey

Steep

Nutcrack Rapids

Sparkles33

JasonRS

chi11er

King_Boru

photon

Busby

ecoleman

Pollywog

awp

nikolarun

LemmingLover

chris_f

Matt

TPer Emeritus

AndyWest

jcoutts

zarozinia

photon

jerry12953

sitemaster

RichHobson

Somelier

Pollywog

nikolarun

Steep

Nutcrack Rapids