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Archive 2013 · Screen captures and image theft

  
 
mobcoa247
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Screen captures and image theft


Do any of you use a privacy filter and if so which ones and do they work to stop image theft via screen caputure with cell phone


Apr 09, 2013 at 06:47 PM
HawksFan66
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Screen captures and image theft


Not sure what that is but I'd be interested to learn more on this topic. I lost about 40 track and field shots from my website to the HS yearbook last year.


Apr 09, 2013 at 07:21 PM
DigMeTX
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Screen captures and image theft


^ Wow.. that stinks. I don't know about stopping screen captures on cell phones but I use Zenfolio's option to not allow photos to be downloaded or right-click saved as. I did the same with smugmug before that. I'm not too concerned with someone taking cell-phone screen sized photos. If you're going to display your photos online you can't really stop that IMO.

brad



Apr 09, 2013 at 08:06 PM
mshi
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Screen captures and image theft


How do you prevent people from printing screen?


Apr 09, 2013 at 10:05 PM
DigMeTX
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Screen captures and image theft


You cannot prevent people from printing screen.

brad



Apr 09, 2013 at 11:13 PM
mshi
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Screen captures and image theft


DigMeTX wrote:
You cannot prevent people from printing screen.

brad


Exactly. As long as you put your images on the internet, you can't really prevent people from duplicating them digitally. So, shooters should encourage people to share their images. For example, take a good look at his guy's work, and he openly encourages people to reblog his images, even download them from his flickr account.

http://50lbsoflust.tumblr.com/




Apr 09, 2013 at 11:36 PM
BenV
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Screen captures and image theft


Big watermarks are your best friend.


Apr 10, 2013 at 10:08 AM
DigMeTX
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Screen captures and image theft


BenV wrote:
Big watermarks are your best friend.



Meh..

brad



Apr 10, 2013 at 06:52 PM
cineski
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Screen captures and image theft


The first thing people read on my blog is copyright info. I also do a small watermark in the lower corner. I also register my images with the copyright office. That's about all you can do.


Apr 11, 2013 at 10:31 AM
_SBS_
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Screen captures and image theft


DigMeTX wrote:
Meh..

brad



I second that Meh.

No ones photos look good with a big watermark shat on top of it. Even the corner watermarks or the cleverly placed and kinda fitting in ones do nothing to actually protect your image. Sure it will advertise you if your image is stolen and they didnt crop, clone, or use one of the watermark removal tools on it. But then we are just talking about the zillion of bloggers who think its ok to take any images from the Internet and use them in their blog. Not really a big deal.

If your going to put your stuff on the internet, chances are, it's going to get stolen at some point. If you can track down the thief a stop and decease letter can help for some. Others you will need a lawyer and you'll have to weigh the cost of that and the time you will have to spend against your losses.

Ive seen my images in magazines, some with credit, some without, (which makes 0 difference to me as I didnt get paid) and the cost of hiring a lawyer has so far been the deciding factor on how to proceed.



Apr 11, 2013 at 05:36 PM
RustyBug
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Screen captures and image theft


The cost of the lawyer is going to be related to whether or not attorneys fees can be awarded, or are you on your own for the legal bill.

Two scenarios provide for awarding of attorney's fees:

1) Copyright violations with REGISTERED images
2) DMCA violations of watermark/logo/likeness removal (registered or unregistered)

These are OR scenarios as they are addressed in two different sections of the law.

As to the watermark/credit issue ... removal of a small watermark, is removal of your likeness and that is a violation of the DMCA, even for unregistered works. There is a lot of info about using a stop and decease letter ... but if they removed your likeness (watermark, logo, name, likeness, etc) ... the are liable for a MINIMUM $2,500 fine (per incident) ... AND ... attorney's fees.

With that in mind, while you certainly cannot stop others from grabbing your images ... putting a small watermark, or your signature, etc. that associates you to the image can make all the difference between an attorney telling you to pony up a big retainer, or the attorney taking the case because they know that they can be awarded attorney's fees as well as win you the case.

As one who has had photo theft and pursued it with multiple attorneys, I learned a few things the hard way, and have since helped a few other FM'ers win some meritable awards that they were appreciative of.

In the end ... YUP ... it gets down to rationalizing the expense of pursuit vs. the gain to be recovered, and the attorney's fees are usually daunting. But, if you give the attorney a chance to recover their fees via registration OR via watermark/signature/logo/likeness (and it gets removed) ... you've got a respectable chance at recouping way more than just a cease and desist when you have clearly had you your images stolen and used without your permission. And, even if you don't go the "legal beagle" route full course, this puts you in a better position when you KNOW that you've got that as an option (understanding that most of us would prefer not). Far too few people are versed in the aspect @ likeness removal violations, but it is there for our protection and restitution.

Another point differentiating the awards ... for copyright violations with unregistered images, the awards are limited to actual damages, whereas for registered images, punitive damages can be awarded additionally. BUT, in the case of DMCA copyright/logo/watermark/likeness removal, the fine is not contingent upon actual damages.

Why is this significant ... many people cannot make a solid case for actual damages, even when the violations are indisputable ... thus no award. Copyright/logo/watermark/likeness removal violations are contingent on neither registration, nor actual damages. The $2,500 fine (and attorney's fees) isn't held hostage by those conditions ... and thus afford opportunity for more victims to receive compensation ... as long as you've put your mark/logo/likeness/signature/etc. on the posted image prior to its theft and it was used with your likeness having been removed. In essence, the fine is for them fraudulently passing the work off as theirs (i.e. not yours) through the intentional deletion/omission of your identity as the works creator.



Apr 12, 2013 at 07:33 AM
mobcoa247
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Screen captures and image theft


Still looking for someone that does event photography! I'm talking about people looking at the screen snap with iPhone out the door image is theirs.


Apr 12, 2013 at 03:18 PM
Calsar
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · Screen captures and image theft


mobcoa247 wrote:
I'm talking about people looking at the screen snap with iPhone out the door image is theirs.


So you are wanting to prevent someone from taking a picture , of an image on screen, with their cell phone? Pretty much the only way you are going to prevent that is to have a private viewing in a venue which doesn't permit cell phones and has security at the display. (Obviously not a feasible solution) Or you can simply not have your images viewable. If you want people to see your images, then the chance of having someone snap a pic of the screen is just a fact of life. Its not like a cell phone snapshot of a screen display image is going to be anything of killer quality. And if the offender is happy with the quality, then I doubt they were a potential customer willing to pay good money for quality work anyhow. Just my thoughts and opinion. And we all know what those are worth.




Apr 13, 2013 at 07:08 AM
RustyBug
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · Screen captures and image theft


+1 @ Calsar

About the only thing I might add is to get a privacy filter from the office supply store that impedes viewing angle AND putting a hood around your monitor. You would basically have to be right over your shoulder to get an angle on the screen, so only those who you bring right into the proper viewing zone would really be able to see anything sufficient for a grab shot ... and you can simply advise them that grab shots are not authorized if you think they are headed that way.

Also, if you have a wall, tent, display, etc. behind you, others can't be standing directly behind you to get the angle they'd need for a grab shot. I think this one is going to be about crowd control through angles.



Apr 13, 2013 at 10:41 AM
TT1000
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p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · Screen captures and image theft


Rusty, while I don't want to get involved in (another) 1202 discussion unless it involves a real case, this is not the entire story by any means:

"but if they removed your likeness (watermark, logo, name, likeness, etc) ... the are liable for a MINIMUM $2,500 fine (per incident) ... AND ... attorney's fees."

Copyright infringement is strict liability. There is no need to litigate over the defendants mental state (for purposes of liability).

On the other hand 1202 requires plaintiff to prove not just the removal of CMI (whatever removal means and whatever CMI means) but to prove (1) intent to remove CMI and (2) intent to induce, facilitate, or conceal infringement.

Easier said then done.





Apr 13, 2013 at 03:45 PM
RustyBug
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p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · Screen captures and image theft


+1 @ not another great debate ... but the salient point is that there is more available (under appropriate conditions, etc.) than just the cease & desist that gets suggested as an option under DMCA, and that there are additional merits to the watermark than just theft prevention, i.e. recovery potential.

Although, I'm kinda at a loss how someone that removes watermark/logo/likeness information can claim it wasn't intentional ... except maybe to crop for aesthetics, and include a photo credit outside the image itself.



Apr 13, 2013 at 05:46 PM
mdude85
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p.1 #17 · p.1 #17 · Screen captures and image theft


Calsar wrote:
Its not like a cell phone snapshot of a screen display image is going to be anything of killer quality. And if the offender is happy with the quality, then I doubt they were a potential customer willing to pay good money for quality work anyhow.



I agree. I would guess that most of those people are taking photos to share later on social media, so you could capture those folks by just offering a sharing option at the kiosk.



Apr 15, 2013 at 09:10 PM
glort
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p.1 #18 · p.1 #18 · Screen captures and image theft


I have had people take pics of the screen and of pre printed pics on a table.
They haven't even tried to hide it as they don't seem to get they are doing anything wrong.

I had a person that kept an eye on the Vstations to help people out if they didn't know how to use them or whatever. When they found someone doing screen shots and told them they couldn't, invariably they got upset and wanted to question why they couldn't do it?

At one of the last corporate events I did, a woman actually complained that the lights I had were reflecting off the prints on the table and she couldn't get a good pic of them with her phone.
Also had people complain when shooting on the portable studio at these events that I was too quick and they hadn't got their shot yet.

I agree that the people doing this were never going to be Customers. That being the case I am usually more direct in telling them they can't do that or just to plain go away.

I think it's a thing these days where people are quite happy with crap image quality. I know I have gone off at my kids for taking pics of (my/their) prints because it was easier to go off their phone than resizing and uploading the digital image to face waste or whatever. The crap quality doesn't even seem to phase them yet my son prints for me and is pedantic in image prep and printing for customers.

I think a lot of it comes from the younger generation particularly getting so used to seeing everything on a tiny little 4-5 inch screen that kills most of the detail in a good image anyway.
I'm old school. Looking at a website or writing on a forum as I see people have done so often on a phone is unfathomable to me. I like a 27" screen and a full size Keyboard. I'm obviously a dinosaur in this regard though and others are happy with their Iphoney screens.

Maybe there is a market for something like Transparent Police tape you can stick right across the monitor itself and say something like " Theft of this image Prohibited" or something to TRY and cause some embarrassment to anyone who takes a phone pic.
WIth some I think that would probably add to the appeal of the shot.

I think the real question is what's Cheaper?
Preventing it happening and stopping potential lost revenue or just not worrying about it too much in the first place?
I don't think it's something we as shooters should ignore but it may not be worth going to too much trouble to stop it either.




Apr 28, 2013 at 07:23 PM
BluesWest
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p.1 #19 · p.1 #19 · Screen captures and image theft


I think it's a thing these days where people are quite happy with crap image quality.

It happened with audio, so why is it a surprise that it's happening with photography? My generation (I'm 60) was obsessed with listening to music through a high-quality stereo system. Every kid in my college dorm had a great stereo in their room. Fast forward a few decades, and most kids are perfectly happy listening to mp3s through a crummy set of ear buds.

So photography has caught up with the quality race to the bottom. Video is probably next.

John



Apr 28, 2013 at 10:46 PM
markedman
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p.1 #20 · p.1 #20 · Screen captures and image theft


Online proof theft is the risk of doing business online. Just like shoplifting is in a retail store.
The only defense is a nice healthy watermark. People complain. But it is the only thing I can do. If there are questions about specific photos ( eyes open , etc. ). I handle them personally.
What really gets me is when someone sends me a screen shot of my photo and asks me to crop it differently!!There is no shame!
Even though the proof is poor. It is enough for the kids. Because their world is in their hand on a small screen. Going after theft is an option. And sometimes it is worth it. However it take a tremendous amount of time I don't have.
It appears to be a no win situation in my opinion.
.



Apr 29, 2013 at 10:48 AM
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