It happened to me... someone lifted one of my photos!

A friend directed me to checkout a Facebook fan page of an area I used to live. I go check it out, and imagine my surprise when I see one of my photos as the profile pic!!!

I have looked and I cannot find any background information on who started the site. It's been up only about two weeks.

Congrats! I say that because...why not be happy someone took it? I mean if you wanted it gone all you to do is contact facebook support and have them take it down under grounds of unauthorized use.

But things on the web are so freely shared, I wouldn't let it bother me or really constitute as being stolen.

Of course many will disagree with me but it's more bother than its worth.

I bet this will turn into a 8 page debate about watermarks/facebook/sh​aring stuff on the web/applejuice/ninjas/​copyright theft/quotes of copyright laws from misc. states/general conversation about anything in particular/why I'm completely wrong and often too sarcastic.

But the important part is highlighted in bold just for convenience.

This happened to me.

1.) Happy that that my photos are gaining recognition, yet upset that the person is claiming the work as their own.

2.) Contacted facebook.

3.) Photo removed.

4.) Started using watermarks.

Karl Johnston wrote in post #9663225
Congrats! I say that because...why not be happy someone took it? I mean if you wanted it gone all you to do is contact facebook support and have them take it down under grounds of unauthorized use.

But things on the web are so freely shared, I wouldn't let it bother me or really constitute as being stolen.

Of course many will disagree with me but it's more bother than its worth.

I bet this will turn into a 8 page debate about watermarks/facebook/sh​aring stuff on the web/applejuice/ninjas/​copyright theft/quotes of copyright laws from misc. states/general conversation about anything in particular/why I'm completely wrong and often too sarcastic.

But the important part is highlighted in bold just for convenience.

Why ruin a good chance for a 10 page flame war?

maybe we could order out for pizza and strippers if there is going to be a 10 page flame war....

I know it's not the hugest issue regarding the lifting of images, and it's not like they stole it then put it in an international advertising brochure for some commercial product, but I'm finding myself annoyed more so than I thought I would be. And the more I think about it the more I'm annoyed simply because they didn't ask first.

I thought about contacting FB and asking then to remove it, and probably will in a day or so, but I decided to join the fan page and post a comment saying it's a nice shot and asking who took it. For my own amusement, really. I'm curious what response I'll get.

Side note: Pizza sounds great!!!

Depth wrote in post #9663352
This happened to me.

1.) Happy that that my photos are gaining recognition, yet upset that the person is claiming the work as their own.

2.) Contacted facebook.

3.) Photo removed.

4.) Started using watermarks.

In this case, they had to have lifted it from one of my websites. Apparently, they did not use the "full size" 600x400 version that does have a watermark (copyright & name), but rather the 120x80 thumbnail that does not have a watermark. I've never watermarked the thumbnails because I thought they were too small to use for anything.

lettershop wrote in post #9664019
maybe we could order out for pizza and strippers if there is going to be a 10 page flame war....

Hotdogs and NoDoze.

photoguy6405 wrote in post #9664852
but rather the 120x80 thumbnail that does not have a watermark. I've never watermarked the thumbnails because I thought they were too small to use for anything.

For web use, nearly any reasonable size is usable. Watermark anything you're afraid of having "stolen". I've seen pro photographer's websites that display extremely detailed (well sharpened and little compression) large images that could easily be grabbed and printed at 5x7" and possibly 6x8".

Another mistake made is to put a watermark, or "studio" name small in the corner of an image where it can be easily cropped out or cloned/healed out in photoshop. Protection watermarks should be large and over the center (or over the main part of the subject) of the image.

Putting the watermark in the middle of an image does nothing except ruin the picture. A good Photoshopper can take out any watermark anyplace on the photo if they want to steal the picture badly enough.

Putting a matermark in the middle of your photo just makes you feel more secure - like full-body scanners at the airport.

It happened to me once. I was an assistant/2nd shooter in a wedding. After that I post some of my photos (those which didn't got picked by the main photog) onto my personal website. Just a few day after, I saw the whole set of my photos on facebook posted by one of the guest in that wedding. I was furious, but there was nothing I can do.

it's the claiming as their own angle that really gets my goat here!

photoguy6405 wrote in post #9664834
..... but I decided to join the fan page and post a comment saying it's a nice shot and asking who took it.....

Post the link. This will be fun!!!

WaltA wrote in post #9665703
Putting the watermark in the middle of an image does nothing except ruin the picture. A good Photoshopper can take out any watermark anyplace on the photo if they want to steal the picture badly enough.

Putting a matermark in the middle of your photo just makes you feel more secure - like full-body scanners at the airport.

If we're dealing with someone who wants the image that badly, then they can have it, lol. But it stops the average Joe from taking the photo and claiming it's his or hers.

The way I see it, you have three options:

Don't put your stuff on the web if you can't handle that this will happen.

Watermark the crap out of it and make everyone else suffer.

Don't worry about it at all - life's too short and you wouldn't of made money from it anyways.