Got my fingers (and bank account) burned recently because of a stupid mistake.
I put up a post a month ago, and someone sent me an image they thought would work with it. This image was not watermarked (despite the NUJ recommendation to their members that this is best practice for professionals), nor was there any information in its properties to suggest its provenance. So I figured that, as it came from a trustworthy source, it was alright to use it. Wrong! The copyright owner found the image in use on my blog and quickly threatened to sue, contacted the General Synod office demanding my head on a platter and left a message on the church answering machine indicating my culpability. Having verified the origin of the image, and having had a weekend of harassment and threats, what was a poor vicar to do? Stump up is what, especially after a little research on the internet revealed that this particular copyright owner is very adept at suing people for this kind of thing, having done so many times before.
I did a quick check of some of my blogs I read and a few could well be in the wrong as I was.
I put up a post a month ago, and someone sent me an image they thought would work with it. This image was not watermarked (despite the NUJ recommendation to their members that this is best practice for professionals), nor was there any information in its properties to suggest its provenance. So I figured that, as it came from a trustworthy source, it was alright to use it. Wrong! The copyright owner found the image in use on my blog and quickly threatened to sue, contacted the General Synod office demanding my head on a platter and left a message on the church answering machine indicating my culpability. Having verified the origin of the image, and having had a weekend of harassment and threats, what was a poor vicar to do? Stump up is what, especially after a little research on the internet revealed that this particular copyright owner is very adept at suing people for this kind of thing, having done so many times before.
I did a quick check of some of my blogs I read and a few could well be in the wrong as I was.
So, what lessons have I learned?
1. Either only use photographs that you have taken yourself (which is my usual practice), are absolutely sure have no copyright issues, or have paid for.
2. Be aware that some people with intellectual property concerns will be using software like PicScout to keep track of whether their material is appearing on the web without their authorisation. Some image companies like Getty and Corbis seem to have teams of people scouring the internet for illegal use of their material. See here for a forum of people receiving bills from these companies.
3. Realise that some individuals with legitimate concerns could be using this method to increase their income. They are quite within their rights of course and will prosecute to the full extent of the law. You will wind up in big trouble.
1. Either only use photographs that you have taken yourself (which is my usual practice), are absolutely sure have no copyright issues, or have paid for.
2. Be aware that some people with intellectual property concerns will be using software like PicScout to keep track of whether their material is appearing on the web without their authorisation. Some image companies like Getty and Corbis seem to have teams of people scouring the internet for illegal use of their material. See here for a forum of people receiving bills from these companies.
3. Realise that some individuals with legitimate concerns could be using this method to increase their income. They are quite within their rights of course and will prosecute to the full extent of the law. You will wind up in big trouble.
Here are 12 basic tips from Daily Blog Tips to help keep us right.
Finally, if you publish your own photographs on your blog and are concerned about other people using them without authorisation, you should watermark the images, or at least embed your details in the properties of the file. That way, anyone using your material will really have no excuse for using your material.
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