Photo-thieves, sick and tired of it..

[TippyToeX]

I don't know what it is, but it seems like the last few months I've had more people point out sites using my pictures.

So far I've been able to get the people to remove my photos from their website, auction, or for trade sites. It's such a hassle and I'm tired of dealing with their attitude (!?!) about it.

Are watermarks really worth it or any kind of deterrent?

[CodeToad]

Amy I know the feeling, I have been there and done that, and it really stinks.

Watermarks are not perfect, from the invisible and sophisticated to just slapping your name on there, they can be beat. I decided to do it because it makes it harder to steal a picture.

They do take away from the picture, but if you keep a nice balance of being difficult to crop out and not too much in the picture, they can be somewhat affective, or at least make it more difficult to steal an image. Unfortunately these days I feel like it is a unnecessary evil

[RicksReefs]

can't you just put a transparent watermark over it?
i thought if they tried to lift it, all they get is the transparency?

[Desert Fox]

Amy, i'm so sorry to hear of your woes. Personally, i hate watermarks, but understand why people use them. The truth is if someone really wants to steal a photo a simple watermark won't stop them. They're too easy to get rid of. But, it might deter the lazy. I don't, and more than likely won't, use them, even though i've gone through the same thing. Something you can try first is posting smaller res photos and see if the problem persists.

Are they using these photos for profit? 'Cause legal action can be taken. I'm not litigious by nature, but you have to protect yourself as well.

[xxaquanutxx]

cathy church uses something similar to water marks on her work... take a look:

[Desert Fox]

By the way Amy, i know it's not the right thread, but oh well...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

Hopefully your day was bright and filled with happiness.

[TippyToeX]

Awww thanks Lil Devil. You're too sweet!

One time the photos were used for profit, he kicked up a minor hissy but I showed him the copy right laws and he hushed up and removed the photos. Right now I just emailed a guy who is using my photos on frags.org.

Rick, do you know how to do that? I'd be interested in that.

[gho]

Happy birthday Amy!

I watermark my client proofs, so if they jack it and print it, its got a big fat ugly watermark in the corner and people that look at the pic know it was jacked from the web. If they crop it out, then it reduces the image size and destroys the composition - the pic will look crappy when printed and look like it was jacked from the web and the credit cut off.

As far as images in my gallery, I don't watermark those. I feel that the watermarks are distracting, and take away from the viewing experience.

I haven't had any issues with people copying photos from my galleries though. I still have issues with clients not asking permission before publishing photos I took though.

A sample of my watermark:

[RicksReefs]

"Rick, do you know how to do that? I'd be interested in that."

i had a bookmark on it, but lost it in a PC transfer. i thought
it was fairly common so i haven't searched for it again, that
and the fact i take crappy pix so i wasn't too worried about
photo theft i'll see if i can find it again.

[JDT]

I know the feeling, while running eTropicals.com before the purchase by Fosters & Smith several of the images that I had taken showed up on other online websites, no matter how much we threatened they were never taken off, in fact some of them are still being used to this day by one company. When setting up the Reef Life website it was my demand for us to make sure that we had as much protection as possible as over 99% of our photographs were given to us to use by Tony Vargas. At this time I use two forms of watermarking, I use a program by PhotoWatermark.com and also Digimarc for extra protection. Like others here have mentioned they don't like to mess the image up but with the PhotoWatermark program you can adjust the transparency of the text you are watermarking. I am aware that some will try to use the photograph but as much as I can mess it up for them the better I feel in the end.
JDT

[jbird]

Depending on what you use to host your site (asp vs. php), there are some things that you can do to protect your photos. There are activeX controls that you can use that layer a transparent image on top of your regular image so when a user right clicks and does a save image as, it only saves the transparent image. I believe there's something similar in PHP too. Do some searches for image protection on some dev sites, and you'll probably be able to find something.

[beerguy]

Originally posted by jbird
Depending on what you use to host your site (asp vs. php), there are some things that you can do to protect your photos. There are activeX controls that you can use that layer a transparent image on top of your regular image so when a user right clicks and does a save image as, it only saves the transparent image. I believe there's something similar in PHP too. Do some searches for image protection on some dev sites, and you'll probably be able to find something.

Those methods protect the image from the casual user but doesn't really protect it. If the browser can display it you can steal it; period.

[jbird]

But it does make it more difficult, without putting a watermark on it.

I agree, if someone wants to steal it, they will. But they'll probabaly have to resort to screen cap it, which becomes a pain in the *** if you've got to do it a lot.

[Duce]

Is there a way to do embossed watermark....e.g. it is a water mark but instead of using your color it uses the color of the picture where it is placed.....
I think I've seen it before....and it is diagonally embossed acrossed the entire picture.

[PUGroyale]

Originally posted by TippyToex
Right now I just emailed a guy who is using my photos on frags.org.

Bad enough they're ripping your photos off... I find it even more distressing that this individual is selling his frags with your pics Aren't the pictures on frags.org supposed to be of the actual pieces they're listing?

btw: Happy Birthday!

[CodeToad]

Here is an example of my watermark, I'd be happy to post up how I made the action step by step if people are interested:



Could it be cropped out? Sure, like most folks are saying even the fancy and sophistocated ones can be beat, but so far this has worked for me, and it least it makes it harder.

If I have a picture of a higher end or rare coral I tend to watermark it up more to make it a bit more difficult.

[TippyToeX]

Thanks for the happy birthday's and for all of the input everyone!

Rick - No rush, if you come across it do let me know. If not no worries.

JTD - That's awful that they are still using your photos to this day. I just can't believe the people who steal the photos have the audacity to be offend that we ask to have them removed! I hope you never have to experience that kind of hassle any time in the future.

Doug - Correct me if I am wrong, but are the photos used in our galleries here on RC protected? I know if people try to link them for other BB's an RC logo comes up. Maybe I'll just be sure all of my photo's are on my RC gallery if they can not be taken for use.

PUGroyale - You would think they would use their own photos! It's misrepresenting the coral when you get down to it. I feel bad for the sellers! Here is his listing Linky and here is my photo:





Matt - I like your watermark. Thanks again for taking the time to teach me how to do that in photoshop.

[Sloth]

Hire a lawyer and sue the people stealing your photos. Maybe you can stop people from taking your intellectual property and make some money while you're at it. Besides, sueing is the American way

[original-reefland]

Any tips on how to automate water marking? Such as adding a border and signature/logo in a repeatable fashion.

If I had to guess you save the water mark as a transparent image that you use as a layer and just merge the layers before saving.

[gho]

Rich, yup. If you're using PS, just record an action to create the watermark. If you want it translucent, you can adjust layer opacity. If you want it transparent, simply choose the transparent color. Then simply play it back on the image you want to watermark

[carpetride]

Enter some feedback.

[TippyToeX]

Rich, as Gho has said, record it as an action. I was taught this last night and it's quite easy.

carpetride - For the guy on frags.org? I will if he does not respond to my email. He has a phone number on his website, so I will call too if need be.

[DNA]

TippyToex.
Since he has stolen the image and used it without permission he can not undo his crime by removing it from his site. I would make him pay big time.
Anyone here that knows how the outcome of sue like this one would look like?

[TippyToeX]

Well I have emailed him again, and contracted the owner of Frags.org and requested he do something, and to have the seller contact me.

The one that burns me is when RMW used my photos (along with a few friends) of our acanthastrea. He did eventually remove them, only to sell about 10k in acans a few weeks later. Who knows if our pictures aided him in that acquisition.

[carpetride]

Well it's not exactly the same situation but the Folgers coffee man sued Folgers for using his image without permission and won a multi-million dollar claim. I'm sure Folgers will appeal or offer a settlement but...I doubt that what you would get would be enough to justify the expense of an attorney except for the satisfaction of it.