another company using our pics - what can be done?

[Joy Yeomans]

just googled some pics of ours and found another company using them blatantly on their website, dont even know who they are - i have emailed them asking them to remove them asap - anybody had this done to them, or what is the legal situation?

[Stephen Blair]

i am not sure, i have pics on my website of others working that were taken off the web, i think it is diferent if your company name is on them. my guy took them and we were going to get some of mine put on later and we never got round to it.

 

its not me is it?

[armchairarborist]

a few years ago a mate of mine built me a website using a couple of my pics and the rest from flikr, even all the writing bit is his own doing, needless to say i wince everytime i see them and read the writing, i have never advertised my website and won't do until i find someone to do the necessary adjustments but recently a few people have said they got me to do the work because they liked my website haha, wierd eh? i think i wouldnt have a good case to argue if someone used my pics but if they are on the web they can easily be used by anybody.

[Joy Yeomans]

i know the pics have been taken off flikr, but i thought you couldnt download them without asking permission first, or you set on the flikr preferences that you will allow licencing of your photos - i have not and kept all rights over my photos, i guess someone has either screen grabbed them or linked to flikr page?

[Ben90]

Check the pictures on the offender's site for the URL (the web address that the picture links to) If the web address is the same, including the picture number if there is one, it means they're 'sourcing' the pictures directly from your picture account, which can have some very entertaining consequences.

 

You can delete the existing picture from your account, upload any hilarious/offensive picture you like with the same filename/number as the last one, and next time anybody loads the offender's site up it will automatically accept the new picture and replace it!

[Marko]

Copyright applies - just because they are shown on the web does not make them a free resource for anyone to use. If you still have the large original file then you can prove ownership.

 

I would write to the site owner and point out your issues, give them 14 days to remedy and notify them of a usage charge of (say) £25 a day fwill apply thereafter for the use of your material.

 

Please remember that the poor business owner may have no idea that the pictures were stolen but that is for him to sort out with his web designer.

 

If you get no joy then the next port of call would be the hosting company. They would take down the site if you show you have tried to be reasonable in resolving the matter but copyright infringement continues.

[Joy Yeomans]

cheers, thanks for replies - mrs l.

[northumbriaforestry]

Hi LogBaron,

Simply put, the person who took the original image, own the copyright & therefore the license control of the pictures in question. If you took the pics, your laughing, if you paid a photographer to take the pics, what was the agreement? That will do for now, answer that & then you'll know what you can do. I can say, don't worry about, image theft is rife & normally speaking carried about by people who have no idea they're doing anything wrong.

PM If you like,

Cheers,

[Joy Yeomans]

Hi LogBaron,

Simply put, the person who took the original image, own the copyright & therefore the license control of the pictures in question. If you took the pics, your laughing, if you paid a photographer to take the pics, what was the agreement? That will do for now, answer that & then you'll know what you can do. I can say, don't worry about, image theft is rife & normally speaking carried about by people who have no idea they're doing anything wrong.

PM If you like,

Cheers,

 

thanks lindis, I (Mrs. L.) took the pics, its of Rohan cutting firewood with his japa, and this other co. has blatantly put it on their firewood site - thing is Rohans in his RMY polo shirt! i own the image, its even on the homepage of our website:sneaky2:

 

thanks for all your support and help with this, saw it in bed last night while i was just googling and panicd

[roseyweb]

I'm Gradually putting the web address as the bottom of all my photos, I think using other peoples is a bit like profiting of other peoples skill.