Computer Gurus! What to do when a photo is stolen?

[tanya]

This photo comes up in the top searches for Zion photos, so she stole it somehow and the link of the photo goes to her site. If you just look at her site without the link from google you dont see it.

http://cosmocricket.typepad.com/cosmo_cricket/2009/03/3-.html (http://cosmocricket.typepad.com/)

[asdf]

I cant see it.. what url are you using when you see it?

[jman]

I found some pics on her blog when she mentions she lives in Providence, and talks about St. George to visit her cousins or something. I didn't find any Zion pics though...sorry Tanya.

The photo of St. George is a really, really good shot. Too bad it's so small...
BTW - A professional shot of the City from Summit (or whoever is willing) in that location, and I'd fork over $$ for a landscape poster photo....hint hint.

[tanya]

Because she just wrote to me and she removed them.

Thanks for looking and trying to help! :nod:

[Jaxx]

nevermind I am late to the party

[tanya]

That it! I just looked too and its still there even though she claimed she removed it in an email!


The lady wrote and said that google shows my photo on her page because she gets 12,ooo hits a day and the site that gets the most hits has their photo show. Summers I get 20,ooo, but it is down to 9,ooo right now as the season dies. Is that the truth about google showing the photos from sites with the most hits per day?




I see my angels landing photo of Bo there too.. hope it goes to my actual site.

[accadacca]

Instead of having her remove the photo, it might be wise to ask her for a link to your site.

[Jaxx]

the one of Bo goes to here: http://www.journeyetc.com/travel-destinations/zion-national-park-every-hikers-dream/

[Cirrus2000]

That it! I just looked too and its still there even though she claimed she removed it in an email!

Well, I think it's gone from the page, but Google just hasn't updated yet - still thinks it's there. It takes some time for the search engine crawlers to catch up.

[tanya]

Oh yeah... I think you are right. The photo that shows is the one that google has. Before when I deleted it, the the page was full of zion photos.

I am still shocked a blog about crafts gets that many hits!

[Pelon1]

I found some pics on her blog when she mentions she lives in Providence, and talks about St. George to visit her cousins or something. I didn't find any Zion pics though...sorry Tanya.

The photo of St. George is a really, really good shot. Too bad it's so small...
BTW - A professional shot of the City from Summit (or whoever is willing) in that location, and I'd fork over $$ for a landscape poster photo....hint hint.
I took this a couple years ago, have it printed 16x20 its pretty sweet.
39109

[Sombeech]

Instead of having her remove the photo, it might be wise to ask her for a link to your site.

What he said.

[Gambel Oak]

Google "what to do when someone is stealing your photos" and you should get a hit for Lorelle on WordPress. I'd give you a link but I'm a new user and can't post any photos or links until I am deemed worthy. It's a good tutorial on what to do, plain English with links as much detail as you want. It sucks but it will take effort on you part to stop it.

[tanya]

Did you see Jaxx's screen shot above, before she deleted it?

Nice pictures. Makes St. George look as if its still small and charming. Which it is in many ways. Love that place.

[tanya]

Your right and I usually do, but this one angered me. :haha: I mean how can a blog about crafting be the number one hit for a Zion photo. :roll: I thought google had stuff figured out:popcorn:

[tanya]

Hi Gamble and welcome to the group.

I know there is script to stop people from copying things. I have used it before but I like people to use the photos if they link back. The issue was she some how became ranked number 1 with that photo using a crafting blog! If she links back I assume that does not happen? Google does not allow stolen text to be ranked, I am surprised it allows stolen photos to do so.

[tanya]

So now I am curious about who is using my pictures without a link back. I google "Zion National Park Pictures" I see the Angels Landing photo there with Bo in it. I have seen it many times, but assumed it linked to my site. Instead its another blog!!!!

http://www.journeyetc.com/travel-destinations/zion-national-park-every-hikers-dream/

Grrrrrr.... So now this is getting to be too much. I am interested in how to stop them.



Maybe its gone? I looked at the comments and told them to remove it yesterday. Forgot I did that! Again the google image goes there, but I suppose it will just take time for the google link to update.

[ratagonia]

Oh yeah... I think you are right. The photo that shows is the one that google has. Before when I deleted it, the the page was full of zion photos.

I am still shocked a blog about crafts gets that many hits!

I like to send people a cover letter and an invoice, with reasonable rates.




Dear ...
I have noticed that you are using my copyrighted material on your website. This is an allowable usage, but requires payment. My rate for usage is $10.00 per week, per image, payable in advance. Please identify for me when you started using these images on your website. I have estimated that you have been using these three images for 10 weeks, thus the enclosed invoice is for 10 weeks usage. Please advise for how long you would like to use these images, so we can put together an invoice for your usage into the future. Please advise when you will be able to make payment on this invoice. Our policy is to charge double for non-commercial-code-conforming use of our copyrighted material - however you can avoid the higher rate by coming into conformance on a timely basis.

Sincerely - ...

Invoice:

Website usage of copyrighted photographs - 3 images x 10 weeks (Sept 1, 2010 to Nov 12, 2010) @ 10$ per week = $ 300.00
terms: due upon receipt
make check payable to :

Etc.

Gets people's attention. I have not gotten money from this, but I have gotten stuff taken down promptly.

Tom

[ratagonia]

That it! I just looked too and its still there even though she claimed she removed it in an email!

The lady wrote and said that google shows my photo on her page because she gets 12,ooo hits a day and the site that gets the most hits has their photo show. Summers I get 20,ooo, but it is down to 9,ooo right now as the season dies. Is that the truth about google showing the photos from sites with the most hits per day?

I see my angels landing photo of Bo there too.. hope it goes to my actual site.

http://cosmocricket.com/show.cfm?page=about.html

This is a commercial site, the blog is just there to pull customers to the site.

They owe you money. Get money from them. They are obviously savvy, therefore they know stealing pictures is theft. Send them an Invoice, turn it over to Evergreen Dean for collection....

However, Evergreen Dean is a professional, and might have more insight on these issues.

Tom :moses:

[Cirrus2000]

I like to send people a cover letter and an invoice, with reasonable rates.


Gets people's attention. I have not gotten money from this, but I have gotten stuff taken down promptly.

Tom

:2thumbs::haha:

[Gambel Oak]

Tom is on the right path for when people steal your content. It works. I used the same tactic (cease and desist) but didn't invoice when my girlfriends blog content was being stolen word for word, picture for picture. It took adding copyright information (which you have) and sending an email. It will take effort on your part but if all you want is it linked back to your site then you might offer them a choice (using an official looking letter). Update their link(s) so they point to your site, or the option of removing the content. If that fails you have started your paper trail for further action (hopefully it won't lead to that). Good luck, it is a pain in the rear end having to spend your valuable time on something that shouldn't be happening in the first place.

[tanya]

I see a Walter's Wiggles picture on the google list. I have not even looked at Yahoo.

I will use your bill on them Tom! Thanks. Its funny but to the point!

Gamble.. good stuff. You are right, to ask for a link. For me that's worth far more than money. I am totally updating my site right now, so its a perfect time to do things like this. I use to put my name right on the photos, but decided it looked tacky so removed them. Perhaps I should put it on again on future photos.

Sean let me know once a newspaper stole a photo and I asked for a link and they gave it quickly. That was nice. :clap:


Going to google yahoo photos..

You all should look and see if people are getting high rankings with YOUR photos too!

[tanya]

Did the yahoo search... This is interesting...

That photo in question on the craft blogging site...

Its is ranked #1 in google but links to my tourism council site which is okay, but has the exact same picture ranked #3 that goes to her crafting blog.

Very odd? My Zion site gets far more hits than my tourism site. I don't buy her answer that the site with the most hits gets their photo listed? Anyone know?

39114

[ratagonia]

Did the yahoo search... This is interesting...

That photo in question on the craft blogging site...

Its is ranked #1 in google but links to my tourism council site which is okay, but has the exact same picture ranked #3 that goes to her crafting blog.

Very odd? My Zion site gets far more hits than my tourism site. I don't buy her answer that the site with the most hits gets their photo listed? Anyone know?

39114

Page hits? or Site hits? I think both count in a complex formula. A good reason to have people always come in through your front door.

Tom

[Sombeech]

I would seriously just do what Scott says, tell them it's yours, and they can keep using it ONLY if they link back to your site. If it's a popular site they run, you'll benefit by having a link to your site, gaining new traffic to your site. Otherwise make them take it down.

[tanya]

Good points guys! Front door - hmmm... never thought of that!

Mine are page. Not sure about hers.

[ratagonia]

Good points guys! Front door - hmmm... never thought of that!

Mine are page. Not sure about hers.

and people lie about their hits, too.......

T

[tanya]

I hope you mean her and not me!

I tried the screen grab, but it shows all but the graph!

Anyway its a little under 9000 this time of the year per day for the entire site.

[tanya]

dang screen grab

[Deathcricket]

I took this a couple years ago, have it printed 16x20 its pretty sweet.
39109

Oh I think I know that spot. Is it by the old Rococos restaurant? Great pic.

[Pelon1]

Oh I think I know that spot. Is it by the old Rococos restaurant? Great pic.

It was taken at the parking area at the north end of 16:2thumbs:

[Dr. Nebz]

I always embed my photos metadata with my copyright info. If you put that in your photo's you have proof that the photo is yours.

I had a friend who had a shot of the Salt Lake Temple that was ripped from the net. The LDS church wanted to buy the photo, and were going to pay the thief for the shot, until their legal checked the metadata and saw who the real photographer was. Now he has a pretty lucrative deal with the church for that one shot.

[asdf]

from my experience its really easy to strip meta data... unless you know something i dont.

[tanya]

This site stole some of my photos. Do any of you have photos on there? I emailed him to link or remove them.

http://www.starving-writers.com/ss1.htm


My photo on his site comes up number 2 when you search google web or images for Zion National Park, Zion National Park pictures or Zion National Park photos. I was going to add the script where people have a harder time stealing photos - no right click, but then read that's a bad idea.


Searched images and there is Bo. I just don't get how some blog page really gets more hits that the original page the photos are from.
http://www.everythingicafe.com/forum/iphone-jailbreak/cannot-get-a-certain-lockscreen-to-work-58887.html

There must be a trick to it!

I posted the first paragraph of a news article the other day and it came with the url attached. Sort of cool, so I did not have to go back and get it. I bet there is a way to do that with images too.


Funny.. this one of my daughter comes up on Bogley now. Use to come up on the EZTC site. lol

http://www.bogley.com/forum/showthread.php?25076-Very-hot-13-year-old-girl!


I need to figure out how this all works.



To stop stealing just have to go through hundreds and hundreds and photos and do this. ~groan~
http://www.zionnational-park.com/images/album2/pages/zion-narrows-r_jpg.htm

But would rather find a way to get a link back when people want to use my photos.

[Sombeech]

But would rather find a way to get a link back when people want to use my photos.

Yeah, I would honestly NOT ask them to take it down, but to ask for a link to your site instead. If they take it down, you're missing out on potential traffic.

With this link, it's just a forum: http://www.everythingicafe.com/forum/iphone-jailbreak/cannot-get-a-certain-lockscreen-to-work-58887.html

So the forum owner really isn't responsible "too much" for what the users post. That'd be like Scott and I being responsible for any photo/video that any bogley members posted. It just ain't gonna happen. lol. You could really take advantage of that situation too by just joining that forum and saying "Hi, that's my photo, glad you liked it, I've got more here...." and link to your site.

Putting your url on the photos is a decent move too, but only 10% are going to manually type in that address. Links get a much higher conversion rate.

[tanya]

I really don't care about forums, but the commercial sites that use them do bug me and added that one since I thought you guys would like all the avatars of young, pretty girls. lol But what I do wonder is if a photo is shown due to how many hits a page gets, that site sure should not be in the top 3 photos for Zion.

That is why I wondered if there is a way to attach my link to photos. I bet everyone this site would love to do that one!

[accadacca]

iPhone hotties. Nice! :lol8:

[bbennett]

Quick side note; that pic of Bo at Angel's Landing has got to be one of my all time favorite Angel's Landing photo's. I'm going to have to recreate it one day. Instead of Bo at Angel's Landing, it will be Beau at Angel's Landing :haha:. Seriously though... awesome picture! :2thumbs:

[tanya]

Thanks! It's my favorite of all I took too. :clap:

This one at Canaan Mountain is cool too, and similar, but no where as popular as Angels Landing of course and Bo has a big soft pad on his pack for me to sleep on. :mrgreen: What a good hiking partner! I have a feeling this photo of Shaun (Track Runner) I just put on the Zion Narrows page today will become a major popular one. I just wish I had the camera skills that many in this group have!

http://www.zionnational-park.com/images/album2/pages/canaan-zq_jpg.htm

Check out Shaun and like my page while there. :mrgreen:

http://www.zionnational-park.com/zion-narrows.htm


iphone.. that makes sense! That would get a of hits.

[cachehiker]

Very odd? My Zion site gets far more hits than my tourism site. I don't buy her answer that the site with the most hits gets their photo listed? Anyone know?

I attended a seminar about how to get your site ranked high by google about 6-8 years ago when I was self-employed and looking for more work. It was presented by the guy who (at that point it time) owned the most common misspelling: www.goggle.com (http://www.goggle.com). It's now some sort of free stuff for your participation in our survey (scam) site. According to him, the biggest factor affecting your google ranking is the number of sites that are linking back to your site. The number of links on your site that also meet the search criteria is also considered along with the number of hits.

This makes some sense. Travel sites will link to the tourism site, blogs will link to blogs, etc. Outdoor enthusiasts are too busy out having fun to link to anything.

[tanya]

Then I made the wrong kind of site. :lol8: