Pictures misused

[eaa]

Accidentally I just found some of myPbase gallery pictures used without my permission here:

http://www.yemekhikayeleri.com/fotograflar/fotograflarla-yemek/gunde-ne-kadar-su-icmeliyiz.html#panel-1

My originals can be found here:
http://www.pbase.com/eaaseth/island_2009

It's a Turkish site as far as I can see, and it's noted "Fotoğraf: Yemek Hikayeleri" by every picture. I tracked that name down on Facebook, and sent him this message there:

"To my surprise I find 5 of my Pbase gallery pictures used in this link. As they are illegally used, I require them either removed or payed for. Nor is the true photographers name noted by them, instead it says that you are the photographer! Like any other photographer I do not approve such misuse, as any permission has not been given. To ask for permission is just common etiquette and sense. So please remove them asap. Or we could talk for any other arrangement..."

To tell the truth, I don't expect them to be removed, and it's kinda sad to observe such a low level behavior. Not just the unauthorized use as such, but even stating himself being the photographer?! Sheesh - he really must feel poud of himself... :-/

But what can you do?
Ultimately it's kind of a compliment I guess, but still it pisses me off! :-(

--
Erik Aaseth
http://www.pbase.com/eaaseth

 

[Digirame]

I guess that always could be a problem. I only put resized photos on the web. With those someone could take them, but they are limited of course with that size. But with originals, I don't know...the internet being international...could be tough to enforce. Sorry to hear that this had happened to you.

 

[Selbepa]

Really sad to hear! This is why I don´t post any pictures, so far... I am not sure where they will end up. On the other hand this is what we can expect to happen since it is the WWW. Try instead to feel proud that he choosed your pictures for a reason, that they where good! At least a small comfort, but important! I would never post any full size pictures, only scaled down with lower quality.

 

[trooplewis]

..I post a lot of high-res images on the Internet, hoping people can get whatever enjoyment they can from them, as long as they don't sell them. I don't care if they make screen savers from them, print them and frame them, whatever they want.

If you're a professional who sells images for a living, its insulting and illegal.

If you're a hobbyist, it's a compliment.

Guess it all depends on perspective.
--

Do you know anyone who loves old movies and Hollywood history? Tell me what I should do with this!
jeanharlowmural.com

I'll post some new POTD's if you guys will submit some images! potdgroup.com

 

[razormac]

My sympathy . . . but I am curious how you found out about this. Just one of those chance things or is there a way to search for your own pictures?

 

[Steviecool]

A photographer friend of mine had a bad experience once a few years ago. He had traveled to Phoenix, Arizona to shoot a popular rock band. He then posted those images on a fan site. Several weeks later when that same band came here to Colorado, some people were selling illegal bootleg t-shirts using the concert shots he had taken.

s.
--
'Don't mistake lack of talent for genius'
-Type O Negative

 

[LouHolland]

As razormac bring up this point, I am indeed curious as well. It must be a needle in a haystack to find you images on the internet.

To the point itself I feel sorry for you Erik

Cheers Lou

=

 

[John King]

Gidday Erik

When I had a similar problem, I did not bother contacting the offender.

Instead, I sent an email to his web site host provider, and they required him to remove the offending images or face having his account and site frozen, with public access prohibited. It still took about a week for the images to be removed.

This is much more likely to be successful, as the offender patently does not care about this. It is not "accidental infringement", but a very deliberate one, IMNSHO.

Good luck!

[EDIT]

I just checked the domain name details. Here they are:

Whois yemekhikayeleri.com
Whois Server Version 2.0

Domain names in the .com and .net domains can now be registered
with many different competing registrars. Go to http://www.internic.net
for detailed information.

Domain Name: YEMEKHIKAYELERI.COM
Registrar: KEY-SYSTEMS GMBH
Whois Server: whois.rrpproxy.net
Referral URL: http://www.key-systems.net
Name Server: NS1.BLUEHOST.COM
Name Server: NS2.BLUEHOST.COM
Status: clientTransferProhibited
Updated Date: 09-dec-2008
Creation Date: 07-mar-2008
Expiration Date: 07-mar-2010

\> > > Last update of whois database: Sun, 24 Jan 2010 03:16:42 UTC

Go get him!!

[end edit]

--
Regards, john from Melbourne, Australia.
(see profile for current gear)
-- -- --

The Camera doth not make the Man (or Woman) ...
Perhaps being kind to cats, dogs & children does ...

Gallery: http://canopuscomputing.com.au/gallery2/main.php



Bird Control Officers on active service.

Member of UK (and abroad) Photo Safari Group

 

[Rob MacLennan]

It may be a compliment to an amateur, but it's also theft of reputation.

..I post a lot of high-res images on the Internet, hoping people can get whatever enjoyment they can from them, as long as they don't sell them. I don't care if they make screen savers from them, print them and frame them, whatever they want.

If you're a professional who sells images for a living, its insulting and illegal.

If you're a hobbyist, it's a compliment.

Guess it all depends on perspective.
--

Do you know anyone who loves old movies and Hollywood history? Tell me what I should do with this!
jeanharlowmural.com

I'll post some new POTD's if you guys will submit some images! potdgroup.com

--
D620L -> D540 -> C750UZ -> E-500 -> E-510 -> E-3 + E-30 + E-P1

 

[dingenus]

Sorry to read Erik,this is simply theft. I have tried to translate it and they not say to be the maker of the photo's but the owner! It is a site about food and drink. Fotoğraf: Yemek Hikayeleri Admin = Photo: Food Stories Admin(istrator) I think it's not simple to find the man who did this but maybe the way John King said would help.

 

[trooplewis]

If they post it as theirs of sell it (i.e. the concert t-shirts) I agree 100%
--

Do you know anyone who loves old movies and Hollywood history? Tell me what I should do with this!
jeanharlowmural.com

I'll post some new POTD's if you guys will submit some images! potdgroup.com

 

[eaa]

Really sad to hear! This is why I don´t post any pictures, so far... I am not sure where they will end up. On the other hand this is what we can expect to happen since it is the WWW. Try instead to feel proud that he choosed your pictures for a reason, that they where good! At least a small comfort, but important! I would never post any full size pictures, only scaled down with lower quality.

Hehe yes, as I said, it's kind of a compliment. Like you say, it's the WWW after all (Weird Wild Web)! As to picture sizes, I never publish them bigger than 1024x768 (the "Original" size in my Pbase galleries), that's what I meant when referring to the originals. But I like to keep a certain technical quality to them, so they are published at max JPEG quality. That will possibly make them usable for (mis)use elsewhere, a risk one will have to live with I guess.

--
Erik Aaseth
http://www.pbase.com/eaaseth

 

[eaa]

As razormac bring up this point, I am indeed curious as well. It must be a needle in a haystack to find you images on the internet.

How did I find them?

Well, a few years ago I discovered there was another person in Norway having exactly the same name as myself. At that time the two of us were actually the only ones in the whole of Norway with that name. The other person was a quite old man back then, so I was just curious to see if I may be the only one having that name in Norway for the time being! So yesterday, being bored during a long dark winter evening, I started a admittedly somewhat vain Google search for my own full name :-D Besides lots of already known and obvious hits, a quite strange link popped up, namely this Turkish site containing my pictures. The hit was due to my name mentioned at the bottom of the narrative on the last picture (the Geysir). I guess that is a mere glitch in his narrative editing, as he has probably forgot to delete my name on that one.

--
Erik Aaseth
http://www.pbase.com/eaaseth

 

[eaa]

Gidday Erik

When I had a similar problem, I did not bother contacting the offender.

Instead, I sent an email to his web site host provider, and they required him to remove the offending images or face having his account and site frozen, with public access prohibited. It still took about a week for the images to be removed.

Thanks a lot for the useful info John, and for taking the effort to check this out! As mentioned, I don't expect them to be removed. Normally I do not bother either, as I find my pictures referenced/shown all over the web. But usually they are used with the authors name annotated, or w/ a link to my gallery as source. That's perfectly fine by me, as long as the pictures aren't used commercially.

What annoys me here is that this fool is publishing them under his own name. The use as such is quite innocent, with the pics just shown as aesthetic examples of water in his "article" on that subject. But why is he lying about their origin by putting his own name on them? Just for the hell of it I'm inclined to follow your advice in this case, by contacting his hosting site, and let them squeeze him a bit. This kind of theft should not be allowed to go on unchallenged. If we don't do anything, such misuse will only get more common and widespread, which in the end will backfire on ourselves as photographers. If the picture misused is taken by an amateur or a pro does not matter, IMO.

Go get him!!

Yes sir!
Think I will - just for the hell of it

--
Erik Aaseth
http://www.pbase.com/eaaseth

 

[tinternaut]

--
Regards
J

Follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/jasonhindleuk



http://www.flickr.com/photos/jason_hindle

Gear in profile

 

[eaa]

Wow - the website actually responded to my Facebook message!
Happy ending for once

Here's his answer:

"Yemek Hikayeleri January 24 at 2:25pm
Dear Erik Aaseth,

First of all, we are apologizing for our fault also have already removed all photos of you from 'history of meal web-side'. I warn all writers of side for more attention.

This web side is only related for funny history of meal to sharing so there is no commercials issue or any other benefits.for your information.

thanks a lot for your notice and have a good day,
admin

My answer to him:

Hi there!

Honestly, I had never expected any response from you on this one, as pictures are cynically misused throughout the internet all the time. So seeing your response surprises me a lot, but I highly appreciate your responsible reaction

You see, as photographers we just cannot sit idle and observe our work misused all around the web. All it takes is for people to ask for permission, and they will normally be allowed to use the pictures for free, as most of us are amateurs, and look upon such use as a compliment, at least as long as the images are not used commercially.

Due to that I am still willing to let you use them, as long as you simply annotates the the true authors name (in this case mine) along with the pics. That's all it takes - send a note to the authors first, and publishing will normally be in the clear. Please inform your coworkers/editors of that, and a lot of annoyance will be avoided. Thanks again for responding - I know that is far from standard procedure in cases like this...

--
Erik Aaseth
http://www.pbase.com/eaaseth

 

[krh_57]

Erik,

Unfortunately I cannot view the Turkish website that your linked to, even with me giving full permissions to my array of security protection. Which usually means that this is not a nice place to visit, as this non allowance is very rare once I give full permissions.

My point in writing is have you ever tried the plugin called TinEye. Either as a plugin or at their website, you can search the web for any variation of copies of your photos that you claim copyright rights to. It would have been interesting to see if TinEye would have had a hit on your property.

http://www.tineye.com
http://www.tineye.com/faq
--
Search for the light...
Ken

 

[krh_57]

Maybe that is why I couldn't see it, the page was shut down.
Glad to see your problem resolved.
--
Search for the light...
Ken

 

[Rob MacLennan]

I was posting images at a size not much bigger than you, 1280x960, and found out last month that several of my images had been downloaded and used in a calendar. You may want to reconsider the sizes that you provide. I have.

Hehe yes, as I said, it's kind of a compliment. Like you say, it's the WWW after all (Weird Wild Web)! As to picture sizes, I never publish them bigger than 1024x768 (the "Original" size in my Pbase galleries), that's what I meant when referring to the originals. But I like to keep a certain technical quality to them, so they are published at max JPEG quality. That will possibly make them usable for (mis)use elsewhere, a risk one will have to live with I guess.

--
Erik Aaseth
http://www.pbase.com/eaaseth

--
D620L -> D540 -> C750UZ -> E-500 -> E-510 -> E-3 + E-30 + E-P1

 

[Jim Flinchbaugh]

Next time you find one of your photos being used without consent,

switch the linked photo with the nastiest bestiality porn you can find, see how long it takes them to notice