This is a very sensitive subject – one that I hate to bring up but as we near closer to the summer season, I feel I should. Three times in the past three months, images of mine have been lifted and used by others on the internet for advertising or brand promotion.
I’m sure some social media intern screen-scraped the images not knowing that in doing so, broke the law and infringed on my copyright. In two cases, I wrote the offenders and note and simply asked that either my work be paid for, removed or I be properly credited for the image. These exchanges were pleasant and had a great outcome. My work was credited and that was the end of it. The third one drew no response at all. I am tempted to simply send an invoice for my work since it was used to promote a brand and therefore they made money doing it. I’ll think on it some more before doing anything. Sometimes the best thing you can do is educate and not be a jerk about it.
Looking ahead to next season, I’ve decided that all images I post will be emblazoned with my new watermark. All images are embedded with a signature that helps me trace it across the internet. I will also limit my postings to either this website or Facebook. Pinterest & Instagram will be a thing of the past. It’s just too easy to snag images. Sad, isn’t it?
This is an interesting infographic I read the other day – speaks volumes. (used with their permission, of course)
Source: WhoIsHostingThis.com