Image stolen and used in several webshops

I shot the image below when I was practicing my product photography skills a while ago (back in 2009 - along with a few others). It's not very interesting or good (you can see the rough paper texture in the shadows), but it turned out OK for my purpose of displaying what is and how it goes together (which is what the supplier's one was lacking).

Manfrotto 143s flash cold shoe:

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com/​photos/mdstoop/3969069​085/

They are selling camera equipment. They should know better. Send them an invoice for $1000 and offer to take it in equipment

Here's another:
http://www.evsonline.c​om …h-shoe-for-magic-arm.html

I'd email and demand they take it down or pay for a license to continue using.. They're shops, they should definitely know better.

I believe they are from several different countries

AntonLargiader wrote in post #11910996
Here's another:
http://www.evsonline.c​om …h-shoe-for-magic-arm.html

Heh, I think that's the original image from manfrotto, unless they changed it.
Edit: nvm, they're using it as a secondary image indeed.

These guys are even worse, they watermarked it!
http://fotozakupy.pl …a-lamp-systemowych,10866s

tonylong wrote in post #11911058
I believe they are from several different countries

One's australian, one Russian text but with a .tv TLD, I also found a .com yesterday, but haven't dug back for it...

lettershop wrote in post #11910709
They are selling camera equipment. They should know better. Send them an invoice for $1000 and offer to take it in equipment

I second this. But keep the license cost slightly more realistic

I'm not sure that me invoicing an Australian, American, Russian or Polish webshop (or sending a letter to take it down for that matter) would have any effect, but just to get some insight, what would be a realistic cost of an image like this?

ok, here we go (prices according to the Dutch 2010 Photographers indicative pricing tables):

international domains, or non-dutch sites:

use for 1 week: 201
up to a month: 251
3 months: 314
6 months: 393
a year: 491
over a year: 614

Amounts are in euros and for a 50 * 75 size ( in pixels)
100 * 150 = roughly add 75,-
200 * 300 = roughly add 110,-
400 * 600 = roughly add 200,-

For dutch sites (.nl domains), multiply with 0.7

My guess is you will never see a penny so I'd advise doing only what seems fun in and of itself.

That sucks hugely.

threaten to spread the story and maybe involve the media if they refuse to cooperate. Negative publicity should elicit some sort of response

Sirrith wrote in post #11912036
threaten to spread the story and maybe involve the media if they refuse to cooperate. Negative publicity should elicit some sort of response

Good luck with that...

a) people generally don't care much about right and wrong if they can get the lowest price.
b) people generally don't care about image copyrights for stuff they find online.
c) look how well it worked for this guy.

I think you should do something about it cause they 'stole' your work. But the thing to do isn't to go in there with 'guns a blazing'. Just write a letter saying that you appreciate that you think your picture is good enough for their website, but since you weren't contacted about using it, that you'd like it if they took it down or worked out a deal to keep using it. And if they don't do anything, then go in there with 'guns a blazing'.

Do not go around and threaten people, especially when it will be documented.

I would contact the sites and see where it leads you. If it does not head where you want it to go, it may just be a learning experience.

Any photo posted online is game for just about anyone who wants to take it. Once in a while you may actually have some luck with compensation, I do not believe it will as likely with another country though.