Photos used without permission!

[silverleeper]

Has anyone had the photos that they posted on Airforums.com used on a different web site without there permission? I was informed that this web site Umbau is using two of my photos. The exposed black painted shell-on photos. Is there any recourse in a situation like this? Any thoughts?

[Boondocker]

Its an ongoing problem about which tons has been written. The two best ideas, for my money, are: send them a certified letter telling them to desist, and two include a big bill with it for usage. I understand from those who have dealt with this that it is often successful at least to the extent that it gets them to stop using your images. Of course, with that website being overseas you have more barriers to contend with if you decide to pursue legal routes. Good luck.

[Mexray]

I didn't see the photos you were talking about...but that site is in German, so I might be missing something...what section were they in?

I see they have their own 'Copyright' notation...If your pic's are still there, I'd drop them an email to cease and desist...see what happens...

[overlander63]

I read the site owner's copyright disclaimer, and you can contact him, and ask that the photos be removed.

[silverleeper]

Originally Posted by overlander63

I read the site owner's copyright disclaimer, and you can contact him, and ask that the photos be removed.

I did. Still waiting for a responce. Thanks

[silverleeper]

Originally Posted by Mexray

I didn't see the photos you were talking about...but that site is in German, so I might be missing something...what section were they in?

I see they have their own 'Copyright' notation...If your pic's are still there, I'd drop them an email to cease and desist...see what happens...

When you first open the site they are on the right lower section. the exposed frame photos.

[Mexray]

"The exposed black painted shell-on photos.".???....guess I'm still missing something, I only see a couple of finished interior shots - are those yours?

[pageclot]

Originally Posted by silverleeper

Has anyone had the photos that they posted on Airforums.com used on a different web site without there permission? I was informed that this web site Umbau is using two of my photos. The exposed black painted shell-on photos. Is there any recourse in a situation like this? Any thoughts?

Translation of the main page into English suggests they are passing off your renovation work as their own as well: (using Google translate)

"We would be happy to prepare your Airstream technically according to their needs and according to European standards so that your Airstream EU has approval.

Through our many years of work on Airstream caravans and our collaboration with Airstream U.S., are also major repairs, such as elimination of accident claims and general work no problem

As a special service, we offer you the reclamation and sealing your Airstream. Obviously, we polish your Airstream to high gloss.

Our team of specialists, to build the interior of their Airstream so as you need it: as a promotional mobile, mobile office, luxury caravan or restaurant trailer.

If you need help during the import, customs clearance, transportation, shipping or in the EU registration of your vehicle needs, then please contact us at....."

Before I translated it, I was thinking you could take advantage of their use of your photos to at least get photo credit, and maybe a mention in their write up, in case you had a business that could benefit from the publicity. And maybe you could still do that (if you wrote them in German. ). But if they're going to pass off your work as their work, then no way.

I think there's a way to embed a watermark in a photo so it can't be used unless authorized, (google maps does it). But who wants that bother?

[silverleeper]

Originally Posted by Mexray

"The exposed black painted shell-on photos.".???....guess I'm still missing something, I only see a couple of finished interior shots - are those yours?

Your not missing a thing. I just recieved this e-mail. Thanks


I have the photos removed

Von: info@airstreamhamburg.de [mailto:info@airstreamhamburg.de]
Gesendet: Freitag, 29. Mai 2009 16:54
An: info@airstreamhamburg.de
Betreff: Kontakt

Ihr Name:
Silverleeper
Ihre Telefonnummer:
Ihre E-Mail-Adresse:
lapower@ .... .com
Ihre Nachricht an uns:
Please remove the photos of my trailer from your web site. I did not and will not give you permission to use any of my photographs. The photos in question are the exposed frame photos. Remove immediately.

[utee94]

Nice

But you'd think, if they really can and do all of the work they claim, they'd have plenty of frame photos of their own they could use...

Let the buyer beware.

[Boondocker]

Originally Posted by utee94

Nice

But you'd think, if they really can and do all of the work they claim, they'd have plenty of frame photos of their own they could use...

Let the buyer beware.

I was thinking much the same. Shady.

I would still send them an invoice for use of the images, say $500. You wont get it, but it may get them to think twice about doing this again.

[silverleeper]

Very shady and dishonest. I hope that someone in Europe will see this and take notice of this company. I would guess that the other photos aren't theirs ether. Asking for money would not be worth the effort.

[VIKING]

I work for a cabinet maker in Hayward, ca, and my boss went to a industry show last year in Vegas. While there, he picked up a sales brochure for another local cabinet shop(San Francisco) and opened it to find a beautiful picture of a kitchen we made a few years ago. He also found other images of ours and images from a door manufacturer we do business with. My boss was so floored he couldn't even speak. He just walked away, rather than start a scene at the convention. It took a lawsuit to get the company to stop using the pictures, and the cost of defending themselves drove them out of business.
HA HA!

Rich

[tksbaskets]

For future consideration. I have a photographer friend who always watermarks her pictures in her photo program before posting them on a public web site. I've seen that on other boards.

We can still enjoy your pictures but it makes them much less likely to be used by others.

[whitelight]

Lee,

Glad to see that your photos were removed.
This is always a problem with the internet as the spirit of sharing information is often abused. The Bambi scammers love to pick up pics from bonafide A/S dealers & then list as their own.

My mom, an award winning & selling artist, runs into this problem quite often. She's part of an art association; all photos of their work that are posted on the website have a "copyright (artist's name) YYYY" watermark.

When I prepare a picture for publishing to the internet, (i.e. resizing, cropping) I will rename the jpeg to something that relates to either the forums or me (i.e. Area33group, whitelighinterior). This is a "trick" for search engines to draw traffic to a website - it also makes your photo unique to you. Often, the hacks will get sloppy & not bother to change the name.

If you're really concerned about not having anyone copy your image, convert to a pdf file (Photoshop elements does this) & then secure the pdf by not allowing printing, copying, etc.

Having said all of this, if someone wants to hack at any site, it can be done. These tips dissuade the lazy, easy way out scalliwags.

Carolyn

[silverleeper]

Hi Carolyn, The biggest problem for me is that I worked very had to restore this trailer and I don't want someone else taking credit for it. Watermarks will be in place if I post any more pictures. Umbau (Airstreamhamberg) Haben Sie Ihre eigene Arbeit faulen Hunde. Auf Wiedersehen.

[Distantdrummer]

IMHO much to do about almost nothing.

If you are a professional and are concerned about intellectual properties I am sure copyright lawyers abound who will set you up legally.
If you are just a forum member and post here and there with no commercial purpose nor intent, then I think you first are subject to your images being repeated for fair use.

When they are used for commercial purposes (and I assume that is what you're talking about) then you do what you did. Ask that they be taken down. If they are not taken down reasonably fast you may (and that is a big may) have grounds for action. But how would you fix an amount of damage? And what dollar amount would you spend to try?
After all you allowed use of them free of charge to Andy the forum owner, and he absolutely has used them on his (this) COMMERCIAL site and they have surely added to his income. But how much of his income is due to each of your images? In other words as I see it you have set the value of each image very low already.
I fully understand the need for protections of intellectual properties of professional creators. But IMHO the rampage over secondary fair usage of properties originated by individuals who haphazardly or without legal limiting, allow their works placed into the public sphere is akin to the utter destructive phenomena (to human intercourse) of rampant political correctness.

I have oft wondered but do not know if the mere stating or stamping an item as copyrighted with the familiar circle c or the word spelled out etc has any real status of making that thing copy protected legally. I tend to doubt that it does.

If you wrote a sonnet and painted it on a private owned barn side on private property viewable by all passerby on the nearby Interstate but did not sign not register your words. Then I drive by remember the words and publish them as a million seller song.
Do I legally owe you?
This forum although private is viewed by thousands of passersby.

I often capture others pics here. I occasionally re-post them here too. I try to acknowledge from whom & where (URL) I found them. If someone complained I would do what I could (contact a mod) to remove them.
Anyone can use the pics I have posted here. I could not care less.
Please remember we quote the words of others here all the time. It is a built in feature of the forums. Are not words as much intellectual properties as pics?
What a SNAFU it would be if we had to have permission each time we quoted our fellow members or others.

Just my feelings, and I am no professional in the field.

Regards

[silverleeper]

Originally Posted by Distantdrummer

IMHO much to do about almost nothing.

If you are a professional and are concerned about intellectual properties I am sure copyright lawyers abound who will set you up legally.
If you are just a forum member and post here and there with no commercial purpose nor intent, then I think you first are subject to your images being repeated for fair use.

When they are used for commercial purposes (and I assume that is what you're talking about) then you do what you did. Ask that they be taken down. If they are not taken down reasonably fast you may (and that is a big may) have grounds for action. But how would you fix an amount of damage? And what dollar amount would you spend to try?
After all you allowed use of them free of charge to Andy the forum owner, and he absolutely has used them on his (this) COMMERCIAL site and they have surely added to his income. But how much of his income is due to each of your images? In other words as I see it you have set the value of each image very low already.
I fully understand the need for protections of intellectual properties of professional creators. But IMHO the rampage over secondary fair usage of properties originated by individuals who haphazardly or without legal limiting, allow their works placed into the public sphere is akin to the utter destructive phenomena (to human intercourse) of rampant political correctness.

I have oft wondered but do not know if the mere stating or stamping an item as copyrighted with the familiar circle c or the word spelled out etc has any real status of making that thing copy protected legally. I tend to doubt that it does.

If you wrote a sonnet and painted it on a private owned barn side on private property viewable by all passerby on the nearby Interstate but did not sign not register your words. Then I drive by remember the words and publish them as a million seller song.
Do I legally owe you?
This forum although private is viewed by thousands of passersby.

I often capture others pics here. I occasionally re-post them here too. I try to acknowledge from whom & where (URL) I found them. If someone complained I would do what I could (contact a mod) to remove them.
Anyone can use the pics I have posted here. I could not care less.
Please remember we quote the words of others here all the time. It is a built in feature of the forums. Are not words as much intellectual properties as pics?
What a SNAFU it would be if we had to have permission each time we quoted our fellow members or others.

Just my feelings, and I am no professional in the field.

Regards

If this was just a random passer by then I wouldn't care. This is a commercial site using my work and my photo to promote there business. Bottom line if you are bring in customers off other peoples work it's wrong. I posted these pictures so people restoring their Airstreams can look at the restoration process. IMHO I find your post antagonistic. Good Day!

[somefun]

Originally Posted by silverleeper

Umbau (Airstreamhamberg) Haben Sie Ihre eigene Arbeit faulen Hunde. Auf Wiedersehen.

gute Antwort!

[silverleeper]

Dank Nachbar!