Copyrights ignored

[PepperElf]

Hey, Isn't That . . .
People Are Doing Double-Takes, And Taking Action, As Web Snapshots Are Nabbed for Commercial Uses

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Basically, the article is about several cases where people have posted photos online, often marked as reserved rights, etc - basically meaning you have to get permission to use the photos - only to later see their photos on TV, other web pages, or even full ads.

The most ironic part was one man had reported that Microsoft audited his company to ensure that some of the software he was using was indeed properly licensed (it was). He described it as a "guilty until proven innocent" kind of audit though.

Then Microsoft turned around and used the guy's own online photographs for their own tech blog, linking direct to the photos - without ever asking for permission or giving him credit. When he requested they remove the link, he was ignored...

Until he changed the photo itself.... to one of um... "extreme mooning" (quoting the article, page 4), so anyone who clicked the link got that tasty picture instead.
15 minutes later Microsoft dropped the link. (PWNED!)

[crazylegs]

This is why I've yet to post any of my work online, until I can find a way to post online without people being able to copy it straight from the web then unfortunately I won't be.

[Pedersen]

Unfortunately, that will be sometime around never. What you post has to be readable, sooner or later. Which means it has to be received by the remote computer. Which means the remote computer must be able to download it. Which means the remote computer can do anything it pleases once it has received that copy.

Which means that you will never be able to post your works online.

[PepperElf]

well there's always what some people at deviantart do... they post large watermarks on the prints so if you copy them for personal use or copyright-violation-use you'll have a giant ugly watermark over the image.

i still like the part about the giant butt on microsoft's link tho.
that'll serve them right for ignoring a legal complaint. bastages!

[Saydrah]

Those megabig watermarks are sooooo ridiculously easy to get rid of in Photoshop. I'm not even very good with Photoshop and I've done a few just to prove the point to friends who think that is adequate protection.

The best thing to do is get a tracking program (Google Analytics I believe can do a lot of it) and track who has downloaded your images- if that turns out to be someone who is, say, a member of a photography group, you might want to dig around and see if they've posted your work as their own. Tracking hotlinking is also a good thing- most people will hotlink rather than save and repost to Image Shack or Photobucket if they have the option, which gives YOU the option of then changing the image to what a friend of mine uses- an image that has a red X and the text:

"The webpage you are viewing steals copyrighted images. Please email the author your thoughts on this."

[Dips]

The best thing to do is get a tracking program (Google Analytics I believe can do a lot of it) and track who has downloaded your images-

We used something similar to find people who were posting downloads of our freeware and our fonts without even doing us the courtesy of mentioning our company. This was despite a notice clearly stating that it could not be redistributed by any means, including posting it on a web site without our permission.

The good news is that we always approached it as an honest mistake on their part and it usually was. Most folks appreciate the friendly heads-up don't give us trouble.

"The webpage you are viewing steals copyrighted images. Please email the author your thoughts on this."

That is classic. I don't think we could get away with something like that for the handful of jerks who think our request they honor our copyrights is unreasonable.

However... our webmaster went to MIT in the 60s or 70s and did something along those lines to a professor who hired him to write a computer program and didn't pay him.

[digilight]

It took me a bit to realize what "Extreme Mooning" most likely meant. And then I realized, hahaha he Goatse'd Microsoft!.

[Bliss]

hehe you reminded me of this classic:
http://ascii.textfiles.com/archives/000278.html

[PepperElf]

It took me a bit to realize what "Extreme Mooning" most likely meant. And then I realized, hahaha he Goatse'd Microsoft!.

o gawd, i didn't realize they meant THAT extreme. but Goatse just isn't right without the companion picture.

edit: and now i'm scared. I looked up the photo just for giggles and...found a tribute cake & some cookies (yes goatse).


and warning, if you're easily grossed out don't look it up. you've been warned.

[Rapscallion]

I'd like to second not searching for Goatse. Personally, I find it hilarious, but this is a family website.

http://www.moonamtrak.org/

Now that's fairly safe, though I wouldn't view it at work unless you're sure your boss wouldn't mind people mooning an Amtrak train once a year as a regular occurrence.

I intend going before the oil runs out.

Rapscallion