Unauthorised/illegal photograph usage
Hi all,
recently i found that one of my images that i uploaded on Flickr and 500px has been used by several people online. Although i'm flattered i was surprised to see it there.
i saw it on some linkedin poses, on the cover of a report of a company on that island.
The image i'm referring to is the one below of the island of Schiermonnikoog in The Netherlands.
for instance this website (seems like a tourist board) is using it:
https://helloschiermonnikoog.eu/zien-doen/natuur-op-schiermonnikoog/
They flipped it horizontally.
i was also surprised to see this image being offered for free on what seems russian websites:
https://www.goodfon.com/landscapes/wallpaper-niderlandy-skhirmonnikog-o…
https://www.wallpaperflare.com/landscape-sunset-nature-lighthouse-islan…
https://zastavok.net/wallpaper/56868-mayak_bereg_na_zakate_tuchi/3840x2…
I'm not sure what can be done for the russian website, but have any of you experienced this as well?
How can i have it removed form the russian sites?
Would love to hear your advise and/or comments.
thank you.
Jimmy
6 Comments
Check out, “The Copywrite Zone Guys”. They have a good book, plus some videos on B&H.
There are copyright lawyers that work with photographers exclusively. You’ll find them on google.
Thanks Darin and Lee.
What can be done nowadays to protect images? With AI a watermark is easier removed than created.
Only thing i can think of is uploading them either in low res, or not uploading at all.
How do you handle this?
The watermark is irrelevant. What matters is whether you’ve registered your picture with the copyright office. Once registered, any unauthorised usage is backed be legal/monetary consequences. If your photo is unregistered, you still own the copyright, but your ability to collect damages is nil.
Hi Jimmy,
The same thing happened to me, on 500px and Flickr as well. I’m just an amateur photographer and don’t make any money from my photos, but I don’t think it’s right that my photos are just copied and reused on other websites without my permission. So I deleted my accounts on 500px and Flickr. Aside from the dubious privacy policies and terms of service of most photo-sharing sites, there’s always the risk that photos will be stolen or copied. Unfortunately, you have to be aware of that whenever you post any kind of content online. It’s a shame, really, because this surely discourages many good photographers from sharing their work publicly.
Peter
I have had that happen. Even a well known camera company did it to me one time. There are times when you can get damages, if the company is honest. However most of the time it just isn't worth the hassle because it'll cost thousands, and more, in attorney's fees to recover hundreds in damages. It never hurts to send them a letter or have an attorney send them a letter telling them to take it down. In the U.S. images have automatic copyright protection when you make the exposure, and that offers some protection if you are in the U.S. and the company is in the U.S. It helps to register your work with the U.S. copyright office which will enable you to collect damages if there is U.S. jurisdiction. About the only thing you can do is to post the image in the smallest res where the image looks good on the screen but terrible when printed.