Copyright Violation

[Lynz781]

Do you need to buy software to be able to copyright your photos? I post alot of my photographs on this site but have recently fallen victim to someone thieving my picture from a thread I created here for their own use.

I currently have Microsoft Office Picture Manager to edit photos and tried looking for some sort of copyright tool but nae luck.

I'm really annoyed at this and it's highly likely I will refrain from posting my photos on the web for people to abuse them.

 

[prankster705]

that sure is annoying when somebody stelas your pics ... I think you could sign them with your nick... stealing it would be quite pointless than, I think(or at least harder, for the thief would need photoshop than)... There's probably a C mark you can get somewhere and photoshop it onto the picture as well...

 

[xingumike]

I use photoshop, but i guess any software that allows you to insert text into a picture will suffice.

The code for the copyright symbol on windows is alt 0169 (this only works on the number keypad on the right though not on the ones above the letters for some reason)

an example...

hth

 

[shaz3271]

it was me i used a photo to sell my snails on ebay i have appologised and have removed it,

i should have asked and have no excuse

sharon

 

[Lynz781]

I appreciate your posting on this thread sharon.
Thanks for being honest. Not many people would be.

 

[Underwurlde]

I just know I'm gunna get flamed for this...

But if posting piccies or indeed written information on a public, freely accessible forum then I'm thinking this would be kind of expected really.

Is anything posted here copyrighted? If so, who owns that copyright? The poster, the forum...

Sure you can add 'Copyright A.N.Other' to every picture, or '© A.N.Other' at the end of every posting....

Indeed, is my avatar my trademark....

©2007 Andy

 

[Lynz781]

The owner of photos should definitely own copyright. As for written information, thats a different kettle of fish. Chances are the information you read was not written by the publisher. It's a nightmare really, referencing posts could get silly.

A photo is a photo though, it's as simple as that and it belongs to me.

I do wonder if anyone uses my photographs. But I would hope they would ask first but life isn't like that. I understand how important it is to reference but not everyone does. I have to reference all the time in my uni studies. So I guess I had high expectations of other people and didn't expect this.

I feel it's quite an important issue and not sure if this sort of topic has been approached here before? Perhaps there shoud be a sticky devoted to copyrighting photos? I need to learn how to do it.

Underwurlde: Flaming gets no one anywhere and results in closed and deleted threads. And I'm not mad at your reply just so you know.

 

[Underwurlde]

Phew...

This topic re: written articles & forum content copyright ownership was covered recently, but to no conclusion. I'll see if I can find a thread link...

Andy

 

[Underwurlde]

Found it!

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=178125

(Glad to see my views don't change much either! )

Andy

 

[raptorrex]

I just know I'm gunna get flamed for this...

But if posting piccies or indeed written information on a public, freely accessible forum then I'm thinking this would be kind of expected really.

Is anything posted here copyrighted? If so, who owns that copyright? The poster, the forum...

Sure you can add 'Copyright A.N.Other' to every picture, or '© A.N.Other' at the end of every posting....

Indeed, is my avatar my trademark....

©2007 Andy

lol you will need to register your trademark with companys house before you can claim it as yours!!

i believe, as long as you link something to the forum, whatever it is you are not breaking any copyright laws.

the copyright to anything posted here, would remain with the writer, but i assume there is a section in the forum rules that allows things posted here to be freely use, ie pasted and quoted and linked.

photographs are harder, especially today, with the advent of the digital camera. in the old days you had the neg, which was proof that the picture was yours. today you can add your pictures to a photo library, as they gain from the use of your pics too, they will chase it up , but if someone claims the pic to be theirs not yours, you will still have to prove it!!
to that end there are company's that offer picture registration, Photoshop has one as standard, to watermark you pictures, but you will need to pay if you wish your picture to be protected. lol and even the most effective watermarks can be removed!! sadly even after doing this, if someone say its theirs you will still have to prove them wrong!
to this end if i do work for money. i take edit and store the pictures on a dvd, then post it, registered mail to myself, and keep the envelop unopened, for some it is better to do the same but send it to you legal representative!

 

[andywg]

lol you will need to register your trademark with companys house before you can claim it as yours!!

Not quite. Companies House is where you register incorporated companies (whether public or private, limited by shares or guarantee) and limited liability partnerships. A trade mark is registered with the UK Intellectual Property Office.

 

[raptorrex]

lo yeh, after i posted i thought someone would correct me! aint bin able to get on the comp till now. lol though the error could have sent someone off on the wrong route, so the correction is welcome!!

 

[Danno]

If you are in the US everything made by one person that is published on the web is AUTOMATICALLY copyrighted. It was placed into effect around 2001.

 

[andywg]

If you are in the US everything made by one person that is published on the web is AUTOMATICALLY copyrighted. It was placed into effect around 2001.

Anything anyone creates is copyrighted and has been for donkies' years. The problem is enforceability (especially on the web).

Suppose I take something you post and pass it off as my own. What are you really going to do about it. For a start you have the problem of cross border IPR, as I am in the UK. I am not subject to US law while I am in the UK.

Next up is showing detriment. The only thing you can claim is damage to earnings from someone being able to read what you wrote on my site rather than here. How are you going to show detriment? Unless you are a published author (and while there are a handful who post here, they are far from common) then you will struggle to be able to show you have actually suffered any real loss. Especially if I am posting it on a free to view site.

Finally is cost. Copyright trials often take in excess of 12 months and cost into 5 figures in British currency.

So copyrighting your work is easy. It's automatic. The problem is enforcing it.

 

[rdd1952]

In the US (and probably everywhere) a photo is copyrighted as soon as you take it. If you aren't a professional photographer, you own that copyright. If you are a professional, your employer (if you aren't free lance) owns them. For instance, when a newspaper photographer takes a picture, the newpaper owns the copyright.