Copywriter Signatures

[Gate Keeper]

I have noticed that some of the members have their names on photos. I have mine embedded in the exif data. I am guessing this is not enough?

Please advise on the way ahead. Do you use an app, is it free or from a paid download?

[Ian]

Originally Posted by Gate Keeper

I have noticed that some of the members have their names on photos. I have mine embedded in the exif data. I am guessing this is not enough?

Please advise on the way ahead. Do you use an app, is it free or from a paid download?

I use Lightroom's option in the Export dialogue box - under 'watermark'.

Ian

[AMc]

Olympus Image Palette on phones allows you to quickly add a watermark but Olympus Viewer 3 doesn't as far as I can tell which is a bit weird.


I don't watermark my images. I think it can detract from the image if it's not done with care.

A bit like tattoos, I can't imagine I'd come up with a watermark that I'd be happy to look at on every shot I upload, any more than a picture I'd want to see every day on my arm YMMV.



I don't believe it has a big impact on image theft/licencing thieves will steal regardless honest people will pay.
I don't make money from my photography so I'm not overly concerned, those who earn their bread and butter are probably rightfully more careful.

For me, if a watermark is intrusive enough to avoid being cropped out by a casual thief then it's significant enough to potentially detract from the image.

My copyright info is embedded in the EXIF and I sometimes look on Pixsy to see if anyone is nicking my work but so far nothing of real note.



A while back I found a couple of my images on blogs. I contacted them both, one credited me and apologised for not linking back the other page disappeared the day after I emailed them. Neither looked like they were making millions off my snaps.

[MikeOxon]

In law, the copyright protection is there, whether or not you mark the photo. I sometimes put my name on, discreetly in a corner, so that, if it is re-posted, my authorship is known. I just accept it as a fact that people may re-use my images and I doubt whether anyone is going to make serious money from them

[Ian]

I don't think copyright in the metadata is enough. I have had full resolution images, with embedded copyright, stolen from one of my sites and used in marketing material by a software house some of you may be customers of (I won't name them). Their attitude was, it's on the Internet so it's free. Admittedly poor legal advice was that it was too risky to pursue them.

Ian

[MikeOxon]

I should have added to my previous post that I never post full-resolution images on the web but always screen-size images with JPEG compression to match.

[Ian]

Originally Posted by MikeOxon

I should have added to my previous post that I never post full-resolution images on the web but always screen-size images with JPEG compression to match.

In my case it was a full-resolution set of sample images taken with a new camera.

But yes, you are very sensible.

Looking at images online I see that very many have no metadata at all, let along copyright messages.

Ian

[shenstone]

Originally Posted by Ian

Admittedly poor legal advice was that it was too risky to pursue them.

Ian

Sounds very poor I would consider just sending them an invoice ... unless they have a licence agreement (which is not the case) they should just pay up

Regards
Andy

[shenstone]

Originally Posted by MikeOxon

In law, the copyright protection is there, whether or not you mark the photo. )

Mike is Right you do not have to put the information in metadata or visible in most countries. The actual situation does depend on the country

For the UK this is an excellent resource http://www.epuk.org/resources/faq

Some interesting stories ..

In this one there was a cost per removal for the visible symbols

In this one it cost getty $1.2million

I note the OP is in Nairobi - so UK law may not be appropriate

Regards
Andy

[DerekW]

I have had photographs taken from a charity site and reposted with the other person's copyright.

I challenged one person who offered to take it down but as he was claiming that he was also promoting the charity he wwas reluctant to be honest.

The other person has not been challenged yet. But one day I might get nasty and see what I could stir up.

[Gate Keeper]

Originally Posted by Ian

I use Lightroom's option in the Export dialogue box - under 'watermark'.

Ian

Thanks Ian, I am going to try your suggestion. The photo below is my first outing with the Lightroom watermark. I think it needs tweaking.

Acacia Sunset Tsavo by philip Gate Keeper, on Flickr

Thank everyone for contributing to the discussion. One of my nephews turned a compilation of my African photos into a slide show and added on the lead musical score from "The Lion King". Great stuff! In his innocence, he posted this up on the web and within a month, I received a copyright warning from the music publishers. We exchanged emails and they agreed it could stay up, providing the slide show was non-commercial and not made for profit. No further action was taken against me. A lesson learned the hard way and a lucky escape.

[Ian]

Originally Posted by shenstone

Sounds very poor I would consider just sending them an invoice ... unless they have a licence agreement (which is not the case) they should just pay up

Regards
Andy

We used a stock photo site to do a valuation of their use and it came to about £2000. They were only prepared to pay a 'discretionary' £100. Our legal advice at the time was that if we went public they might sue US! This was about 12 years ago. Their software is rubbish although I think it sells reasonably well. I'll go no further than that.

Ian