Another avatar stealing?

Thanks to a POTN member here for pointing out someone in a different forum is using my avatar. Unlike Scott's case, i did not take the picture and hence do not own the picture. I found the picture from an online 2004 Woldcup coverage news article. I cropped the picture to make my avatar. So i guess i just have to accept someone out there can use my avatar as theirs.

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lol yep that picture has definately been around the net a lot, lost count of the avatars I've seen.

It's probably as good a time as any for something new/original anyway

Well that sucks!!!!

cfcRebel wrote:
Thanks to a POTN member here for pointing out someone in a different forum is using my avatar. Unlike Scott's case, i did not take the picture and hence do not own the picture. I found the picture from an online 2004 Woldcup coverage news article. I cropped the picture to make my avatar. So i guess i just have to accept someone out there can use my avatar as theirs.

Well, if you ask me, I think he did the same thing you did and probably got it from the same source, but I don't think he's using your own particular avatar. His and yours are different even though image itself is the same. Take a close look. AAMOF, I wouldn't be surprised if he posted a screen shot of your avatar here on POTN on his own forum and complained that you stole his avatar.

I have had at least 3 people in the last 3 months use my photos as Avatars on message boards.

1. The first thing that makes me mad, is they just blatetnly ignore the copyrighy watermark and statement on my website.
2. Two of the offenders were just hotlinking to thumbnails in my gallery.

I have since went through my sever backend and put in Hotlinking protection.

Well, i posted the full version in the Tell me about your Avatar thread. Maybe he got it from there. Anyways, when i get a chance to take a similar shot with my camera, i'll make my own avatar. That means it's time to get a ticket to 2006 World Cup Germany.

Its not your shot so how can you claim its your avatar?. That photo is ALL over the internet, and its not hard to find.

cfcRebel wrote:
Well, i posted the full version in the Tell me about your Avatar thread. Maybe he got it from there. Anyways, when i get a chance to take a similar shot with my camera, i'll make my own avatar. That means it's time to get a ticket to 2006 World Cup Germany.

I have never seen that photo anywhere but in Your avatar so I assumed You took it , somehow that avatar just lost some of its appeal to me

tommykjensen wrote:
I have never seen that photo anywhere but in Your avatar so I assumed You took it , somehow that avatar just lost some of its appeal to me

I agree. Why would you choose to use somebody else's photo like that?

I myself have a "kids in the Hall" avatar on PR.com but it is obvious that I didn't take the photo as it is a screen shot, and it is of a famous person, if I saw someone using it wouldn't mean a dern thing to me.

Also if it wasn't yours to begin with then it can't be taken from you. You are guilty of the same offence you are accusing this other guy of. Frankly I find your indignation quite hypocritical.

Obviously u did not see the question mark in the title, and did not read my message clearly. I never accused the person of stealing my picture. I just said that I'm disappointed to see someone uses the same picture as his/her avatar on another forum. That makes my avatar less appealing, as Tommy said. AMOF, I too never see this picture anywhere on the internet.

To answer your question, i chose someone else's photo to be my avatar because i admire the person's work. He did a great job capturing the kid's mood at the moment. I assume the season u chose the "Kids in the Hall" to be your avatar on PR.com, is because you like the picture. So why is it hard to understand someone would choose other people's photo to be avatar?

I think there's nothing wrong with using a well distributed image like that as an Avatar, sometimes people take the whole copyright/originality thing way to far. The only reason I say 'shoot something original' is because you'll feel better for it. About 2 years ago I made a childish avatar which was an animated GIF and flashed 'Neons are gay' referring to neons on modified cars. I still see it on car forums today and couldn't care less who uses it. Quite flattering actually

cfcRebel. I am not flaming here. Honest. Your disgust over another having the "same as you" is like someone seeing a Toyota Echo on the road and saying they are driving your car. Your avatar is quite possibly one of the most used online. One of my bike forums has over 10 users with it alone. I will never accuse anyone of being an internet rookie becasue I'm sure not L33t enough I'm sure.

I say move on and work on having your own avatar. My avatar is of me dragging a body part on the ground at 135 kph. I'm sure you can find one that is just as exclusive to yourself. Pick one that reflects you. Make one that others copy and you feel pride in it knowing YOU are the author.

Turn the frown upside down is what your kindergarten teacher would say. Use it as a springboard for having your own online identity.

Is it not possible for our photos to be right click protected - the site that I have my gallery on does that and I've tried to copy my own pictures and had poor results, so perhaps that would help.

No. Go to file save as and pick it out of the folder. Do a screen shot and crop. Your pictures can even be stolen from a flash file. Shoot in RAW and it's all yours. For good.

I remit. I did miss the "?" so i did take your statement the wrong way. Though I do see a difference in using a bit from a tv show and just another photographers work, but hey thats just a personal difference, not a moral or leagel thing.

To each his own, and more power to ya' dude!