Copyright has been violated - best course of action?

[imagemaker46]

I think your first and biggest mistake was allowing the first company to distribute your images to other publications. Why wouldn't you as the photographer do that yourself? Who's to say that the copyright info was sent along with the files, some publications see pictures coming in as free handouts and use them. Never use the word "free" in regards to contract or copyright information, it throws in a "gray area"

I would still contact the publication and find out what information was attached to the files they received, if you let it go without question, it will happen again.

 

[morganza]

Yeah I figured as much Buckster, just wondered if someone might have had a similar situation.

The 'free' use applied to the COMPANY, not the publication. The company did not not authorise the use of the photo in the publication. They are as angry as I am, it seems, as is the publication who actually went to the trouble of getting license and were then told they had exclusive use of the image...

But yeah Buckster's probably right, I just hoped someone here would have been in my shoes and could give me a steer in the right direction

You should never have given them free use, just forget about it and move on and learn from your mistake

I agree, but now it's time to take action about it.