Suing photo thief - for how much money?

[jakovn]

I was pointed out that a large company in a third world country has downloaded and printed photo in their promotional material over 40.000.000 times up to this moment without even asking for permission. Would you sue him if you were the author of the photo? How much money can one ask for?

 

[Big Mike]

Ask a lawyer.

 

[Village Idiot]

Does that third world country abide by international copyright law?

 

[BlackWolF]

And "Good Luck" in ever seeing a dime I would say

 

[joemc]

The first question a lawyer is going to ask you is if you registered the photo with the copyright office?

 

[epp_b]

1. We are not lawyers. Ask one.

2. You go into court saying, "he stole my pictars!" and you'll be laughed out. It's copyright infringement, NOT "theft".

3. Going after someone in a third-world country makes you look like scum. If you even manage to recover any money, chances are that it won't be worth the negative reputation that you'll earn in the process.

4. Copyright is a modern, first-world concept to which third-world countries mostly do not adhere. Remember that all young countries shunned these sorts of laws in their beginnings. America shunned British book copyrights to get commerce off the ground. Hollywood exists in California today because they moved there from the east in order to violate Edison's patents without having to pay royalties (it was beyond practical jurisdiction at the time).

 

[KmH]

The first question a lawyer is going to ask you is if you registered the photo with the copyright office?

Only if the suit will be filed in the USA.

 

[Big Mike]

On the bright side, how many people can say their photo has been printed/published 40 million times?

 

[BlackWolF]

On the bright side, how many people can say their photo has been printed/published 40 million times?

So true ...

 

[skieur]

Some people did not read. It is a company, not an individual. If they have offices in the US, then sue them there. Find a legal expert in the area of intellectual property rights (copyright). If they removed a copyright notice, watermark or in some other way, knowingly violated your copyright, then considering use, the suit should be in the seven figure range. Hire a lawyer on a contingency basis, which should be acceptable considering the size of the lawsuit.

skieur

 

[Shutter_to_think]

I say if a person has high quality unwatermarked photos available on the web, then they're too stupid to afford a lawyer anyways.

_

 

[Hobbes]

haha I would be extremely flattered if someone, corporate entity or individual, "stole" and printed one of my photos 40 million times lol. Your photos are your creations created with your own ideas and style and that is something nobody can take away from you. Man! I think I should have gone to law school because everyone seems want to hire a lawyer for everything.

Hollywood exists in California today because they moved there from the east in order to violate Edison's patents without having to pay royalties (it was beyond practical jurisdiction at the time).

hahaha! Nice one! I guess they are getting what they deserve.

 

[KmH]

I say if a person has high quality unwatermarked photos available on the web, then they're too stupid to afford a lawyer anyways.

_

Welcome to the forums.

You just got added to many people's "IGNORE" list on the basis of your, uh...... contribution. :thumbup::lmao::thumbdown::thumbup:

 

[epp_b]

I say if a person has high quality unwatermarked photos available on the web, then they're too stupid to afford a lawyer anyways.

You just got added to many people's "IGNORE" list on the basis of your, uh...... contribution.

Not mine. The point he is rather tactlessly trying to make is that it's kind of dumb take a full size, full quality image you want to sell, and make it freely available online.

 

[JamesMason]

What company is it ?