peoples using your photos (tumblr)

[burstintoflame81]

It is a common misconception that as long as you are not using something commercially, that it is safe under "Fair Use". Fair Use only covers scholarly non-profit work. Simply posting pictures because you "Like them" and want to decorate your blog is NOT Fair USE. Most sites that host peoples blogs and website create revenue from traffic and advertising. So technically by posting your pictures they may be attracting more traffic for a site that is technically making money. Also, the US Copyright Office uses several factors of determining fair use. One of which is,

"The effect of the use upon the potential market for, or value of, the copyrighted work "

Technically, unless for non-profit scholarly work ( for instance, using them on educational forums like this one, geared at learning about photographic techniques ) you could argue that spreading your picture makes it more easily accessible to anyone and that you can not sell as many prints because it lowers the demand.

Of course all of this would require you to have your copyright registered and not have agreed to any TOS that relinquishes your rights. Also, a link to your picture or site is different as someone already stated. They are simply directing people to you, nothing wrong with that.

 

[KmH]

Unfortunately, TPF is not an educational forum.

It is a for profit commercial enterprise. These discussion forums are simply the vehicle that provides the framework for all the attached advertising.

As of a moment ago:

Currently Active Users: 766 (145 members and 588 guests and 33 Spiders) Most users ever online was 3,039, 04-27-2006 at 07:29 AM.


Note the number of guests, out number the members by 4 to 1.

 

[DRoberts]

It's the internet...If you have photos you don't want stolen don't put post them. Hmmmm...have we not figured this out yet? Flickr is a glorified photo album. If you want security for your photos get your own website and secure it, as well as clearly marking your photos.
While it may be bad juju's to to steal a photo, so are about a million other things that happen online everyday. But they happen, and will continue to happen and everyone knows this.
If you put your work out there, knowing this, then how can you complain when it happens? At this point it's just as much your fault for uploading to sites such as flickr as it is anyone elses fault for using them.

 

[burstintoflame81]

Unfortunately, TPF is not an educational forum.

It is a for profit commercial enterprise. These discussion forums are simply the vehicle that provides the framework for all the attached advertising.

As of a moment ago:

Currently Active Users: 766 (145 members and 588 guests and 33 Spiders) Most users ever online was 3,039, 04-27-2006 at 07:29 AM.


Note the number of guests, out number the members by 4 to 1.

So is every major university in the country. There is always going to be a gray area, but I think one could argue that this is a forum aimed at the study of photography. Everything has to pay the bills somehow. The point I was making with a blog is that there is no editorial/scholarly work, its the online version of someones Journal. Although, I am sure that there are some blogs that could probably make a strong argument to fair use. The main point is that fair use isn't as cut and dry as "they are selling my pictures or not selling my pictures"

Good point though BTW

 

[matfoster]

something that puzzles me with tumblr and maybe other web 2.0 websites is when you sign up/login the page is http:// not https://. how are these passwords kept secure nowadays? anyone know?

 

[KmH]

You might find the book Crypto by Steven Levy an interesting read. It's about how HTTPS (public key encryption and the RSA algorithm) came to be.

 

[LBPhotog]

1. Officially register copyright on them.
2. When you find someone violating your copyright, printscreen / save-as the page and get a witness.
3. Contact a copyright attorney.
4. Take legal action.
5. Profit.

In the State of New Hampshire it takes $50 and three "reproducible copies" of your logo to register it with the state ... it's the best $50 I've ever spent because, really, I need someone to violate my copyright ONCE and I'll probably get my money back ...