What to do when brands steal your images? // Deal with anyone who use your images without permission
Вставка
- Опубліковано 5 лип 2024
- Have you ever had your image used without permission? Or your photo shared without proper tags? I suspect, the answer is yes, because this is a BIG issue.
So, what to do when brands use your image without permission? How to deal with copyright infringement and accounts/companies/brands stealing your photography work?
In this video, I will share with you my experience with this problem, and all the possible steps you can take to deal with ANYONE who steals your photography, doesn't tag you and use your image without permission or for commercial purposes.
Check out www.pixsy.com !!!!
If you have any questions, or wants to know more or even share your own story - I will be waiting for you in the comments.
Vera x
WATCH MORE
FREE brushes for natural freckles: • Add NATURAL FRECKLES i...
Master the natural retouch: • 10 tips to MASTER the ...
Changing lip colour naturally: • 4+1 easy ways to chang...
Magazine editorial shoot behind the scene: • Shooting 4 looks BEAUT...
_____________________________________
My INSTAGRAM: / verachange_photo
My FACEBOOK: / verachangephotographer
My WEBSITE: www.verachange.com
My EMAIL: photo@verachange.com
PICTURES in video:
Model: instagram.com/
Makeup artist: instagram.com/
Photo and retouch: / verachange_photo
GEAR I am using:
Camera: Canon EOS 7D Mark II
Lens 1: Sigma 105mm 2.8 Macro amzn.to/3eYYUlS
Lens 2: Canon 50mm 1.4 amzn.to/3v2SW9h
Light 1: Godox SK 400 ii amzn.to/3wkhbjA
Light 2: Godox MS 300 amzn.to/33UjGgf
Trigger: Godox X Pro C amzn.to/3w9CvrQ
Light boom stands: Phot-R amzn.to/2T3HbkM
Modifier 1: Neewer Octabox amzn.to/3tZ1RXR
Modifier 2: Phot-R Beauty dish amzn.to/3bFWiXU
Modifier 3: Andoer Deep parabolic umbrella amzn.to/2S1bZlD
Reflectors (different sizes) by Phot-R & Selens: amzn.to/3fs3dVX
Posing table: amzn.to/3vDgeTj
Colour checker card: Spyder amzn.to/3ovCNH1
Tethering cable: Tether Tools amzn.to/3v6o9s4
Retouching tablet: Wacom Intuous amzn.to/3bAs60A
Monitor: Asus Pro Art amzn.to/3ypJH4Q
Computer: Mac Mini amzn.to/3bzdgqY
+more
PHOTO editing software: Adobe Photoshop CC & Capture One 20
VIDEO editing software: DaVinci Resolve 17
MUSIC by Epidemic Sound bit.ly/3oCgsYk
UA-cam tools by TubeBuddy bit.ly/2Rr1JTK
*Disclaimer: Some of the links included in this description might be affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service with the links that I provide I may receive a small commission, at NO extra cost to you! Thank you for supporting my channel.
![How to RETOUCH EYEBROWS in Photoshop // High-end beauty retouching tutorial [Vera Change]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/poHCniqbme0/mqdefault.jpg)
![How to RETOUCH EYEBROWS in Photoshop // High-end beauty retouching tutorial [Vera Change]](/img/tr.png)
![ОРБАН приехал к ПУТИНУ и "отчитался" о поездке в Киев 😁 [Пародия]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/_0ukDovOWq8/mqdefault.jpg)
Thank you for this video, it was extremely helpful! I'm sorry to see that stealing intellectual properties is still a "not so important crime" and that reporting it doesn't always mean you're gonna win but at least knowing that we have some chances is still something I guess. Really hope this will reach as many ppl as possible, we need to raise the general awareness and possibly stop this. Creative jobs are so underestimated :/
Thank you so much for saying that, I feel exactly the same!
I am not sure if we can stop it altogether, but making brands pay large sums for it, or have their social media accounts blocked for multiple strikes due intellectual property violations, that might help to minimise it. We just need to keep fighting 💪🏼
Thanks for the tips, very helpful.
You’re very welcome! Glad it helped!
very helpful and informative!
This is so frustrating. Thank you for this video
Love your last suggestion!
Thanks ♥️ I always try to find some positives, in everything, even when my images are stolen 😄
You are incredible. Thanks alot for this video
You’re very welcome! ♥️
I love your videos, please upload more product photography tutorials🥰
Thank you! Coming soon x
Thanks for that Video! Absolutely needed for our Industry! Well explained.. I had one case filed on pixsy, but at the end they couldnt do anything because i have wrote them before a message (the brand) and pixsy said i should not message them beforehand if i want to file it as a case 😅 dont know why, but usually this should not be a problem.
Interesting. I have included in evidence all my previous conversations with them (in some cases lack of it as they ignored all my messages) and it got sorted 🙏🏼
Glad you find the video helpful!
6:01: It may NOT be prudent for photographers/artists (non-lawyers) to send *cease & desist* letters to US-based copyright infringers.
Depending on how you drafted and what you included in your letter, the infringer can file a “declaratory judgement” against YOU, and you may have to litigate the facts of your case in the infringer’s city/state.
Again, contact a copyright attorney to review your infringements BEFORE communicating with a copyright infringer, especially if it’s a corporation or publisher!
TIP: *Creatives obtain LOTS of legal benefits when they quickly register their works with the US Copyright Office.*
Good info, Vera! How much would you invoice them for images? Just a range maybe to share?
Depends on the size of the brand and how much you value your work. Can be £100, can be £1000. Must be your decision, there is no “suit-it-all” number.
nice.....
8:28 *Pixsy* might be a good tracking enforcer for international copyright infringements, but if the infringement is based in the US, you’ll likely get MUCH MORE money using your own US copyright attorney/litigator, ESPECIALLY if you “timely” (quickly) registered your work with the US Copyright Office (either before the infringement took place or registered within three-months of its first-date of publication).
*US Copyright Office (USCO) Registration & Watermarking:* For deterrence AND to obtain the strongest copyright protection against US-based copyright infringers, photographers/artists should affix some type of identification markings (watermarks, robust metadata, copyright attribution, etc.) to their posted works. And if *really, really* helps if those works are “timely” registered with the USCO.
*Copyright Proof:* For US-created works, “presumptive PROOF” (via prima-facie EVIDENCE) of your copyright creation & copyright ownership claims comes from quickly registering your works with the USCO. It’s not your RAW or original file that necessarily proves your copyright validity, but rather your copyright “Certificate of Registration” that the USCO will mail you. By statute, a US federal court MUST see your issued Certificate to have “legal standing” to pursue US copyright infringers in federal court.
My issued Certificate is the official US government date-stamp of my presumptive copyright PROOF. When infringers challenge my independent copyright creation, I simply show them my Certificate’s number rather than my RAW files, my Google document timestamps, or a SASE, and that shuts them up!
Joshua Kaufman, a Washington, DC copyright attorney/litigator, sums up copyright registration in the first 20-seconds of his UA-cam video. He also addresses the economics of NOT timely registering your works: ua-cam.com/video/cBOKkrleY3Y/v-deo.html
Write back if you’d like to receive official USCO tutorials/links on how to register (protect!) your creative works from non-Fair Use US-based copyright infringers.
What about models and rest of the team? If brand public image and you got money for license for using it , are you share those money with a team?
just registered and uploaded my portfolio, 0 matches, hm... though there are some in Google search
upd. It took almost a week to find the matches.
I went through pixsy and still got nothing. They were in the US and I’m UK so they just got away with it :(
All they did was ignore the emails pixsy sent so they gave up. Kinda sad that they can get around it like that but lesson learned I guess.
Not all cases will be resolved but I have multiple ones in progress and it’s looking promising, plus one freshly closed successfully. Pixsy makes money from the legal fees that the brand needs to pay, so it’s in their best interest to win. There is one website that stole over 20 (!!!) of my images and even pixsy can’t do anything about it. We can’t win every fight I guess. Important is to at least try.
@Thomas Claasen that’s actually not true in my experience. When the website is small or made by a private person (a blog) Pixsy straight away decline the case even before starting, as they know there is no money to make on places like that, or, in most cases, a takedown notice will be enough for people like that to delete your image if they’re using it.
I, on the other hand, actually got major worldwide companies (that were using my images without permission) pay a significant amount of money for the unauthorised used of the picture. So it wasn’t the “little people” paying, it was big corporations, with milions and milions dollars turnaround per year - and believe me, companies like that have special budget for cases like this, and similar.
So, why shouldn’t I fight for my own right against these big companies with Pixsy’s help? I don’t see nothing wrong with that.
I am not saying Pixsy it’s the best legal company out there, but it’s a start, and free option to fight against the copyright infringement.
I watermark all of my images and I make sure the watermark is somewhere in the center so it can't be cropped out
That’s also an option. But watermarks these days can be easily removed with software. Also, some people prefer cleam look to their images, without disrupting watermark in the middle that takes away the attention.
@@VeraChange wrote, “But watermarks these days can be easily removed with software.”
That’s true. HOWEVER, keep these two US copyright legal tips in mind:
1) *PURPOSELY* removing watermarks can be deemed *WILLFUL* copyright infringement in a US court, that can result in the infringer liable for statutory damages from $30,000 to $150,000 AND the copyright owner’s attorney fees & legal cost (at the court’s discretion), but ONLY if the photographer/artists “timely” registered the infringed work with the US Copyright Office (USCO).
2) Per 17 USC §§ 1202-1203 (part of US copyright’s DMCA): US-based violators (infringers) who knowingly remove, cover-up, or change a watermark (logo), copyright attribution, image title, licensing information, metadata, and/or other *“Copyright Management Information” (CMI)* with AI, apps, Photoshop, or any editing software to hide their copyright infringements or induce others to infringed, can be liable for your actual money damages & profits OR $2,500 to $25,000 in statutory damages PLUS attorney fees PLUS legal costs (at the court’s discretion). A timely registered copyright claim is NOT required to pursue CMI violators.
Including robust CMI can provide creatives with some legal options, ESPECIALLY if they choose not to timely register their works with the USCO.
As a general rule, creative works not timely registered are, too often, not enforceable for money damages, as any money received from a US out of court settlement or post-trial won’t typically cover the copyright owner’s attorney fees (notwithstanding those rare infringement cases where the copyright owner’s actual damages [aka missed licensing fee and/or cost of goods infringed] and/or the infringer’s disgorged profits are SUBSTANTIAL).
US Copyright attorney, Andrew D. Epstein, writes, “We recommend always attaching a watermark or other copyright management information [CMI] to all works that you distribute. Although you do not need to have a copyright registration to recover under the DMCA [CMI], we always recommend [timely] registering your photographs with the Copyright Office to be able to qualify for maximum awards for copyright infringement ($750 to $150,000 per infringement, plus costs and attorney’s fees).”
@VeraChange wrote, “..some people prefer cleam look to their images, without disrupting watermark in the middle that takes away the attention.”
I include a small, but readable & transparent cool-looking, artistic watermark logo that includes my name, URL and/or social media handle, and copyright logo (©).
The people who get upset with watermarks and other CMI are photographers and graphic designers. I have YET to license/sell my images to them - they are NOT my targeted client. If Target comes across one of my stock images affixed with a watermark, that will NOT discourage them from contacting me to explore a license.
Oh my God, I didn't know brands were up to this... That's nasty and not fair at all. That's right, Vera, grow your own platform and whenever they do it again let us know so we call their attention. Nasty, really nasty...
Unfortunately, it’s happening to a lot of people 🙁