I've known for quite a while... but as I upload more and more photos, especially after this new "enlarge" button has been added (which is awesome by the way)...
my concern of stolen photos has increased.
I'm certainly not worried about any of you guys stealing photos... but I know that any user who browses the web who doesn't have a 365 account can still view all of our photos. Anyone can easily just right click on a photo a save it to their computer to claim it as theirs (that is unless a huge watermark dominates the image lol)...
but has this ever concerned any of you? SHOULD I be concerned? ...because especially with the new enlarge button... and the fact that I don't watermark my images.. that anybody outside of 365 can just steal a decent sized image of one of my photographs and claim it as theirs...
I guess my question for you guys is, does this bother you at all? If so, is their any way of avoiding this?
and for Ross... is there a way to copyright photos on this site so that they can't be stolen? ..or am I just being a worry wart? hahaha
I completely agree with you Lauren. If I looked on the internet and saw someone else's account and one of my photos were on there, I would be so mad.
I don't like to watermark my photos, but I really wish that this site copyrighted photos so they couldn't be saved or copied.
Yes, I worry some-what. I worry more on flickr than here, mainly because on flickr they come up on search engines.
I guess the only way, in these days, to keep them same is to put a big, fat, ol' watermark on it.
Well if someone steals your photo you can always sue them... you would be awarded damages... ie it what you lost when they stole your photo... for some it might be bigger $'s for those who get published, but likely you are not sharing published photos until around the time they are published... but for someone like me... when I am paid for an image I am paid before I take the photo... so for me it doesn't cost me anything... so to each their own...
@deforauls53 - I really wish the photos were copyrighted on this site already too... and like you I feel like a 'big, fat, ol watermark' ruins a photo!! it hides all of the beauty and critical details ya know? buut... is it worth doing to avoid stolen images?? hmmm... wish it was something we didnt have to worry about... that'd make life muuuuch easier ;)
@icywarm - very true... sueing is an option haha but I guess I'm more worried about not figuring out that someone has stolen my images and then getting away with it....
@lauren211 - i really agree, i wish people just had the heart to realize how much hard work we really do put into photography, and stealing it is just awful. And I must agree that watermarks take away from the whole photo. What i wish is that on here there would be no watermark, but if you saved it to your computer from this website a big watermark would appear onto it, now THAT would be nice :D
I just downloaded my own pic from today,it was the same as the original.It did not print clearly but still concerns me that anybody can download any photo with this new format. I just uploaded the pic again.This is a problem Ross!!!!!
Couldn't anyone download photos (right click, save as) on the old format too? I just saved one of mine (enlarged) and the size is too small do anything worthwhile with. However, I do resize in picnik (usually, forget sometimes). I may start making them even smaller.
I'm really confused why people are saying they want this site to copyright the photos. Umm... that's not what copyrighting is. YOU own the copyright the minute you create the image. I highly doubt you want to turn over YOUR copyright to this site. Copyrighting does nothing to stop someone from taking a photo, obviously. Maybe perhaps you're trying to say you wish this site had a way to stop, for example, people hitting right click save as? Or like you said, embedded watermarks? All different than copyrighting ;) And only stop non tech savvy people from taking a photo. It's rather easy to go around right click protect, and there's always the good ol' screenshot method if you really need a photo that bad.
Yes, I am concerned about people using my images without permission. I have seen them online in the oddest places and it irritates me that I was not asked or given any credit. I don't make a living with my photography, but I admit I am protective about it. I wonder if there is a way to A) Disable the "Enlarge" feature except to folks on this site or B)Disable the right-click Save-As feature much like Flickr does. Yes, I normally have info embedded in my images, but that does not keep someone from using them as they see fit. I have been seriously considering adding watermark to my images, but that gets so distracting so I'm hesitating. Tough issue for sure...
There is no way to physically prevent people "stealing" photos, or any files at all, when you put them on the internet. How many times have we had this one now?
@aikiuser jenn even if you disable the right click, anyone can view it large, either with a click or increasing the page magnification, and then just take a screen shot ... this would even provide good enough quality to print, and certainly good enough to post elsewhere etc.
to everyone else, and lauren, i'm not sure there's anyway around it really, and i just prefer not to think about those types of people, but yes if someone takes credit for your work, paid or unpaid, its pretty freekin low huh :(
This must be an somewhat easy fix, works in a lot of sites, as mentioned! Like Brian did, we´re also thinking of leaving the project. Not that we're professionals but it would feel better if it's impossible to copy and as we all know there are people out there that like to mess things up just for fun. Watermarking destroys the picture!
@eyebrows Agreed! People should know by now the risks of putting their photos on the Net. Watermarking and putting low-res images up are the only way of somewhat encouraging others to not 'steal' your photos.
As far as I know the possibility was here before and is true to any photo uploaded to the internet. Security measures for those who are concerned were mentioned here especially small size pictures that can be good enough for viewing on the screen but not for printing. I also heard about a program that can be detected photos on the internet and people that were sued because of violating copy rights
Yes you could download the photo before as well, as I know people have downloaded my pictures, the only thing I do know, is that the resolution keeps getting worse the more you right click and save, I know where Lauren is coming from, but personally, the only thing that would bother me is not getting the credit for the photo in the first place. I think this is the issue with the internet, there are so many photos out there, the likelihood of finding one of mine used somewhere seems highly unlikely. With that said, someone mentioned as soon as the shutter is snapped, we have the copyright and would be relatively easy to prove, the problem again becomes finding out who took the photo and where its being used. It would be nice if you could no longer download from this site and have to contact the owner for permission, but that may not be all that easy to do.
> is that the resolution keeps getting worse the more you right click and save
Not true, this is only true when you're editing a lossy (such as JPG) image in some editing program (such as photoshop) then saving it out again as another lossy format (such as JPG). Repeating this time and again will downgrade image quality eventually , but just saving an image off the net won't - it's just copying the data in the file byte-for-byte, not re-compressing it. :)
@eyebrows hmmm, I saw the downloaded photo from 365 and it was no where near as good as the image I uploaded, perhaps it has something to do with the resolution at which I upload it, could that be the case? My sister had dl an image from my site and when she went to reprint at home it was not a good quality, perhaps this was just an assumption on my part in which case I stand corrected. ty
@wjw1741 Yeah when you upload a file here, even if you manually resize it to 550px first, it'll still get resized (well, technically "resampled") by the 365project software anyway so end up looking worse than the file you uploaded. There'll be no further diminishing quality from that image though, no matter how many times you save it out from a web browser.
@eyebrows@juhlin there is a whole group on flikr for stolen photos... really see what Steve said above... the cost trade off is
IF IT IS ON THE NET = IT MAY GET STOLEN
trade-off
BENIFIT OF BEING ON THE INTERNET vs NOT BEING ON THE INTERNET
This is why I don't put my 'good' photos on here... 90% of mine are goofs, f'ups and silly things I've done... you will never see I photo on here that I would ever sell... because... well I want to sell it...
@taidster Yup, screen captures can happen no matter what! Like I said: Tough issue! In the meantime, I'll just grumble silently about all those photo thieves out there stealing my oh-so-magnificent pics!
heh heh ;-)
very easy... many browsers also let you tick a button that disables the disabled function...
@glyn I say get mad... revolution!!!! Everyone should burn their cameras film and pc's in protest!!! That will show them!!!!! BURN is the rally cry... BURN them all... then let them copy our work!!!
@icywarm Argh, I wish I had a screenshot of when one of my photos of my own car was stolen by a cheap car part company and photochopped crappily to sell some crap on ebay (which wasn't even on my car, LOL)... it'd be perfect for that flickr group. Especially the photo editing. Top notch work... so good, a 2 year old could've done better... (4caroption is the seller... I checked again tonight, and they're still using stolen photos, but luckily no more of mine since I threatened to get them banned from ebay and legal action if they didn't cease using my stuff without payment)
I have right click disabled on my computer. Ironic, considering on my photo site, I have right click protection on. I gotta steal my own photos somehow :P
This is why the programs and cameras we own can put copyright data on our original images. As long as you have your meta data on your images they are legally yours. I would not use any site that insists on putting a copyright on my images so would not like to see this happen to 365. The copyright already, legally, belongs to me. I know I make my images small enough so that they can't be used by anyone who needs them large enough to sell to others. This is easily done and should be a regular step in processing your images for websites. I always create a separate, smaller, image to put online and avoid uploading the original.
Please don't let your worries stop you from sharing your passion with the rest of us. It's so nice to have a site we can all go to for feedback and networking.
I'm not a professional, so I would simply consider it an honor if someone used one of my 365 photos, or any photo I've posted on other sites, for their own enjoyment or monetary gain.
If I saw that someone actually made money from one of my photos, I'd kick myself for writing that previous statement, though, I'm sure. :)
@kezzam this may be a stupid question, but how do you create that smaller image from the original? is it in a particular program, or can any editing program do it? i have aperture and ps elements, but because i'm so UNsavvy technically, i usually simply use picnik. any help is appreciated. thanks!
I only watermark the ones that I'm going to try to sell at craft shows and the ones I really love. Other than that, I'd love for people to ask me to use them first but I've had quite a few of mine used by people who didn't ask. I'd like to think that most of the time they just don't realize that it's wrong and it's just a picture they like and they want to use it.
Someone did steal my daughter's pictures once though of herself and her baby and claimed them as their own. It was a 14 year old girl trying to pass herself off as something she wasn't.
I'm not going to go into another rant or anything here, just want to offer some information.
Any size file can potentially be used elsewhere on the internet. So resizing only does so much. That said, if you keep your image well below 1800 pixels (on the long edge) that will prevent "decent" printing of anything 6x4 or larger. Also, reduce your JPG quality when doing your save for web, down to around 60%, and if any editing is done to it by someone else it will start to look really, really bad. Every time a JPEG is saved, it loses quality, so if you start at a bare minimum quality for web display, nobody is going to find any reasonable use for it. Nobody who isn't a 12 year old with a website no-one vists anyway.
For my Flickr photos, I generally upload at 1500 pixels on the long edge, and reduce the quality down a bit. I also watermark, but I get told (seemingly every second day) that I shouldn't because it "detracts from the image". Yes, it does, but it detracts even more from the value of a stolen image. The watermarks I use on 365 are generally far less obvious, because the files are smaller, lower quality, and are not as likely to be stolen anyway (and if they are, I'll hunt them down, and enjoy doing it).
So, keep them small (365's resolution is only 1024 pixels anyway, in large view, and lower quality that an uploaded image at the same resolution), and keep them at a minimum quality. If you're still worried, watermark them. If you're still worried after all that, don't post them.
I still keep my photos sized to about 750x600 and watermark them. Jinx makes a good point, keeping your images as unappealing for stealing (ie reduced quality, size and watermarking them) will prevent theft. You can't really do much else other than that.
@aikiuser http I like this suggestion from @wjw1741 and would be happy to pay for such a facility: "It would be nice if you could no longer download from this site and have to contact the owner for permission, but that may not be all that easy to do." @kjoslyn mentions disabling the 'right click option and I have certainly found this to be the case, even if screen shots can be saved, this at least closes off one access road. I'll try and remember to do what Jinx and Sare the Fish have suggested.
I'm terrified, actually. I just started puuting my name on images because of it. I trust members to 365 whole-heartedly, but anyone else....
It creeps me out. Thanks for starting the discussion, I can see others opinions too.
@jinximages I like this comment by Jinx. I hadn't known that much JPG. All my photos on 365 are uploaded at 900 or smaller, and most have editing to a massive scale. This makes me feel better.
To agree with something, yes watermarks detract from images, but it protects your picture more than not having one at all.
Thanks!
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I don't like to watermark my photos, but I really wish that this site copyrighted photos so they couldn't be saved or copied.
Yes, I worry some-what. I worry more on flickr than here, mainly because on flickr they come up on search engines.
I guess the only way, in these days, to keep them same is to put a big, fat, ol' watermark on it.
@icywarm - very true... sueing is an option haha but I guess I'm more worried about not figuring out that someone has stolen my images and then getting away with it....
to everyone else, and lauren, i'm not sure there's anyway around it really, and i just prefer not to think about those types of people, but yes if someone takes credit for your work, paid or unpaid, its pretty freekin low huh :(
> is that the resolution keeps getting worse the more you right click and save
Not true, this is only true when you're editing a lossy (such as JPG) image in some editing program (such as photoshop) then saving it out again as another lossy format (such as JPG). Repeating this time and again will downgrade image quality eventually , but just saving an image off the net won't - it's just copying the data in the file byte-for-byte, not re-compressing it. :)
IF IT IS ON THE NET = IT MAY GET STOLEN
trade-off
BENIFIT OF BEING ON THE INTERNET vs NOT BEING ON THE INTERNET
This is why I don't put my 'good' photos on here... 90% of mine are goofs, f'ups and silly things I've done... you will never see I photo on here that I would ever sell... because... well I want to sell it...
@wjw1741 watermark them if you want credit... but other than that them the breaks...
for those who want a giggle...
http://www.flickr.com/groups/photos_stolen
heh heh ;-)
very easy... many browsers also let you tick a button that disables the disabled function...
@glyn I say get mad... revolution!!!! Everyone should burn their cameras film and pc's in protest!!! That will show them!!!!! BURN is the rally cry... BURN them all... then let them copy our work!!!
@icywarm - hahah BUUURRRNNNN ;)
thanks everybody for your input btw... its great to know how others feel about certain issues and just various opinions on stuff... thanks!!
I have right click disabled on my computer. Ironic, considering on my photo site, I have right click protection on. I gotta steal my own photos somehow :P
This is why the programs and cameras we own can put copyright data on our original images. As long as you have your meta data on your images they are legally yours. I would not use any site that insists on putting a copyright on my images so would not like to see this happen to 365. The copyright already, legally, belongs to me. I know I make my images small enough so that they can't be used by anyone who needs them large enough to sell to others. This is easily done and should be a regular step in processing your images for websites. I always create a separate, smaller, image to put online and avoid uploading the original.
Please don't let your worries stop you from sharing your passion with the rest of us. It's so nice to have a site we can all go to for feedback and networking.
If I saw that someone actually made money from one of my photos, I'd kick myself for writing that previous statement, though, I'm sure. :)
Someone did steal my daughter's pictures once though of herself and her baby and claimed them as their own. It was a 14 year old girl trying to pass herself off as something she wasn't.
Any size file can potentially be used elsewhere on the internet. So resizing only does so much. That said, if you keep your image well below 1800 pixels (on the long edge) that will prevent "decent" printing of anything 6x4 or larger. Also, reduce your JPG quality when doing your save for web, down to around 60%, and if any editing is done to it by someone else it will start to look really, really bad. Every time a JPEG is saved, it loses quality, so if you start at a bare minimum quality for web display, nobody is going to find any reasonable use for it. Nobody who isn't a 12 year old with a website no-one vists anyway.
For my Flickr photos, I generally upload at 1500 pixels on the long edge, and reduce the quality down a bit. I also watermark, but I get told (seemingly every second day) that I shouldn't because it "detracts from the image". Yes, it does, but it detracts even more from the value of a stolen image. The watermarks I use on 365 are generally far less obvious, because the files are smaller, lower quality, and are not as likely to be stolen anyway (and if they are, I'll hunt them down, and enjoy doing it).
So, keep them small (365's resolution is only 1024 pixels anyway, in large view, and lower quality that an uploaded image at the same resolution), and keep them at a minimum quality. If you're still worried, watermark them. If you're still worried after all that, don't post them.
@aikiuser http I like this suggestion from @wjw1741 and would be happy to pay for such a facility: "It would be nice if you could no longer download from this site and have to contact the owner for permission, but that may not be all that easy to do." @kjoslyn mentions disabling the 'right click option and I have certainly found this to be the case, even if screen shots can be saved, this at least closes off one access road. I'll try and remember to do what Jinx and Sare the Fish have suggested.
Thanks Lauren for raising this point.
It creeps me out. Thanks for starting the discussion, I can see others opinions too.
To agree with something, yes watermarks detract from images, but it protects your picture more than not having one at all.
Thanks!