Protecting images from unauthorized use

[WillFolsom]

All: Several of my associates have reported that their images are being copied and used by unauthorized users. Others have recently reported that Google includes the right to use YOUR images as part of their contract with you and that they will soon launch a "service" that might utilize your photographs as part of their new service.

I have always been open about posting my images on various sites, such as Facebook, with just a small "©William B. Folsom" in a lower corner. In text areas, I've also included "ALL RIGHTS RESERVED."

I'm in the process of inserting my name in much larger letters in my future postings to see what the results might be.... accepting that it does hurt the beauty of some of my images.

I thought I'd ask the BC for any negative experiences you might have had, any special insights on protecting your images, and your thoughts about all this. Possible I've over-reacted and that can easily be corrected, but thought I would seek your advice. Always great fun to have such a great group of folks to seek advice and ideas from! William

[Commander]

Those of us who are sharing our images in the public domain can rest assured that, once your images see the light of day, they will be leeched and pinched for a whole variety of purposes. I have seen my own images being used in schoolchildren's presentations to even landscape architects' presentations to their clients! (The last mentioned incident came to my attention by chance, because I was helping the jury assess the submissions of that competition!)

I am sure that our images will appear in many odd places, most of which are private presentations or typically non-commercial use.

Whatever you do with your watermarks and so on, a determined leecher can remove. (As a challenge, let Sunny take one of your images and show you how he can clear all the "messy" watermarks)

The only recourse, if your image is used for commercial gain, i.e. your image appears in a book, product or advertisement where the person or company involved should have paid you for it, is to take legal action. Before you do, you should familiarise yourself with IP laws that range from Law of Fair Use to the more recent cases involving copyright battles in various legal jurisdictions.

And it may vary from country to country if you still choose to pursue the legal route. For example, if you want to hire a lawyer to take on someone from an obscure third world country who has printed your photos and is selling them as postcards to tourists, I would suggest that you take your lawyer's fees and go for a good vacation instead!

Anyway, that's my opinion. Perhaps others here may want to share what they think as well.

[Commander]

As for Google's latest "contract" for users who post their images on their portals, I suggest that you take your business elsewhere, and put them on the sites where your copyright is still respected. You don't have to subscribe to Google's free sites if they consider that your work is fair game for them to use as they see fit!