Hi Sweet Friends ~ warm thanks for your comments on my last post, it's nice to hear from dear friends and new followers too:)
Imagine you're surfing the web and there you see it, one of your finish photos... so you click on it and find yourself at another's blog. Recently I discovered one of my long ago finish photos had been lifted and posted to another's blog, just for reference, no claim or link was made to my finished piece. Sometimes I tend to forget to watermark my photos, guess I'll have to be more mindful in the future.
One time I wanted to link a photo to a tutorial for a project I had completed, but certainly asked the original blogger's permission first, which she graciously granted.
I'm gathering my thoughts as I always do and considering contacting the blogger (outside the U.S.) and nicely asking her why she failed to ask permission. Perhaps this is a commonly accepted practice outside the U.S.? Simply put, I'd appreciate the courtesy of being asked. Am I the only one who feels this way?
You're right... this isn't an earth shattering issue, but a blogging one, and I felt comfortable opening the topic for discussion.
Because I'm no expert on blogging protocol, I'm wondering if anyone has feedback to share?
Tootles, Sue
How odd - I would think that the very least you would have been given credit for the stitching and finish.
ReplyDeleteBTW - I loved your last post!!! How wonderfully sweet and kind.
I do think that it's always polite to ask. It's just the right thing to do.
ReplyDeleteI would think this is common sense... regardless of where you are so shame on the person who didn't ask your permission. I don't watermark my photos but think I will start. Thanks for sharing this .....
ReplyDeleteI think you have the right to at least find out if the person did try to contact you or to determine if they didn't know any better. You may doing them a favor by letting them know!
I haven't honestly experienced this in the blogging community, but...let me share...
ReplyDeleteI posted a gorgeous water/sun photo on my facebook pictures last fall. One of my 'friends' took the picture & used it as their profile picture....imagine how horrified I was at that.......
Most certainly i would contact the blogger concerned, IMO they had no right to lift your photo without your permission and at least mentioning where the photo came from.
ReplyDeleteI don't usually put a watermark on my photos (sometimes i might put my name in the corner though), i do have a polite request on my blog page asking people not to lift photos without express permission.
I agree with the others....asking permission is just the right thing to do.
ReplyDeleteSue, I'm not surprised about this happening. They aren't that concerned about copyright of patterns either over seas. I'm sorry this happened to you and I think I'll start watermarking my photos.
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
That's upsetting for sure. I would contact them just to remind them to ask you first, etc. Is it perhaps because they are not English speaking as you mentioned this is outside the US?
ReplyDeleteI hope any mis-understanding can be resolved!
I most certainly would contact the blogger if I wanted to use their picture and I would expect that someone would contact me. I don't think you would be out of step is contacting her and telling her that you've seen it. Perhaps I better watermark my pictures too. I don't think it's happened, but you just never know.
ReplyDeleteI totally think this is odd that I have had the same problem this very week. I find that just like the above statements that in the least it's common sense and respectful. I don't think this is only outside the US but it does seem to happen more. I have had a design I put as a pic on FB lifted by a NON stitcher and used as HER profile. I was not pleased AT ALL!
ReplyDeleteI asked her to please remember this was MY picture. She gave no reference to my name or anything. It still took her time to remove it, about a month.
That's when I also became notified by several stitchers that they would stitch my designs in any format they wish and on one occasion I didn't even recognize my pattern. I had to go look at my original as I haven't even stitched the model yet.
All in all, yesterday I went online and researched copyright law and plan to read up more on this before I begin to sell patterns. It's disheartening for folks not to at least give credit AND it doesn't look right to find my pattern referenced as mine but it's REDONE in a complete different format. This deserves more attention. Please stay in touch...
jennifer
Feathers in the Nest
P>S. I'm currently learning how to watermark my stuff......still don't know how myself....but will find out.
Hi there, just happened across your blog and seem to have have dropped in on a politeness issue. I'm in the UK and I have had a picture used by someone in the USA later they let me know they had used it!
ReplyDeleteI haven't got a clue how you 'watermark' a picture so I'll just have to keep posting my pics. as I do now. We are just as concerned about copyright here as in other parts of the world and generally a pretty dim view is taken when it is flaunted. But with regards to pics on the web I was under the impression that unless it was actually stated that permission must be obtained for usage it can turn into a free for all. It all amounts to a matter or courtesy.
Very very Rude! and yes put your watermark on your pictures (I use Picasa). I started doing it because of the same problem:)) but I made them take the picture off their blog.
ReplyDeleteHave a good day.
It's extremely common outside the US. I've had it happen to my beads pics before but, honestly, there is no point in getting TOO upset over it because there isn't anything you can do about it really. The images get picked up by the Google bots and then people all over the world will download it. (And a watermark can be lifted if you are savvy enough too.) You can ask them to take it down or at least link it, they either do or they don't but that's the end of it. If it's within the US you can contact their web site provider and file a complaint with them and they will (generally) force them to take it down or shut down their site.
ReplyDeleteI'm not living in the USA, but I think it's common sense that you just can't lift someones pictures. It's not a matter of where you live, but how you look towards things like copy right. Some people care about things like that, and others don't. Be it in the US or somewhere else in the world.
ReplyDeleteAnd some people don't have a clue that it's forbidden that lifting a picture is a big no no. They just don't know. You will also find these people in and outside the US.
As an European living in Australia I can assure you it is not common there and here.
Thx for all your comments, others wanting to contribute are welcome here:)
ReplyDeleteOut of politeness I would not lift a picture without the owners permission. I often get pictures sent to me of my designs stitched by others. I always email the persons concerned asking if they object to me showcasing their stitched piece on my blog and, as yet, no-one has refused. I always show one picture and link back to their blog/s saying that further pictures can be seen there. If they have no blog I always state this too.
ReplyDeleteSomeone in the US used my blogging header picture recently. It would have been nice if she had asked first. I need to get a statement on my blog and find out how to watermark.
ReplyDeleteQuite frankly, I don't think it's a US vs non-US issue, I think it's that people can be rude or unwittingly rude w/o realizing it, no matter where they are. I read your comment as an American so didn't think anything of it but then was thinking about things here and I think it's just common sense. At least, I would THINK it was common sense and that people would know it's not proper etiquette to lift a picture. I don't know how to prevent it other than trying to remember to at least put my name on my photos and hope that it doesn't happen. I recently read a woman's blog who posts a lot of photos of her kids--she has a photography business but this was her personal blog--and she found out that somebody had lifted a picture of her CHILD and used it as their own avatar picture. !!!!! Can you imagine?! That would totally freak me out. Again--I guess you think that everybody would realize that is just not done, but it takes all kinds to make a world.
ReplyDeleteI was very disheartened to find another stitcher write a complete blog post on my comment. Why my comment??? Is it any different from the rest?
ReplyDeleteWhen other people read it, email me to tell me how they are spreading mistruths, I honestly don't know how to answer anymore. Just knodding my head in disbelief......I think all were verbalizing respectfulness as the main thing and watermarking to avoid this but maybe I missed it. I have no idea why my response was picked out and poked into but whatever.......
Jennifer
I've had it happen and it didn't bother me. I wouldn't want a personal photo used but of my cross stitch is okay with me. The one I found was of an OOP pattern and the stitcher was trying to locate the pattern. I consider intent.
ReplyDeleteNo good Sue. They should have asked you but definitely should have linked to you. I know how you feel. I found my photos of my handmade Christmas village were used for a music video. If the person had asked me, I would have said yes to them using my photos but it was a shock to happen upon them. My village was handmade by my mother and sister and is unmistakable.
ReplyDeleteHugs from Holland ~
Heidi