Copyright issues on booking sites

[geogphotos]

I come across quite a few of images on sites such as Trip Advisor, Kayak, Booking.com

 

Also on directory sites for services such as builders, trades people, local tourists boards, etc.

 

My understanding is that they get around copyright by allowing third parties to upload the images, and those third parties can easily stay anonymous.

 

So, as a result I have just sidelined these transgressions as not worth chasing. 

 

I wonder if anybody has gone after these sort of potential infringements. The big host companies are obviously gaining from this as are the smaller business who are uploading the images. The photographer is getting nothing.

Edited June 16, 2021 by geogphotos

[spacecadet]

I haven't seen one of these recently as such, but were there one with an identifiable English infringer I would certainly go after it. After all as we know under the CDPA they can't hide behind a third party- if the image appears on your screen, that's enough for an infringement. A few years ago I used to find the odd image on blogs and the like and secured a few moderate settlements. Of course the IP small claims track helped when it came along- no need to go to court when the infringer knows you can and will.

Of course until this year one could have gone for an EU infringer as well through the European small claims procedure, but no more.

[mickfly]

Isn't the publisher still liable?
You claim off them and they then claim of the person who posted it?
I've collected from a magazine forum which had warnings that the poster should not post anything which is not theirs. A poster posted my picture and I chased the publisher and got paid.

 

[spacecadet]

Just now, mickfly said:

Isn't the publisher still liable?
You claim off them and they then claim of the person who posted it?
I've collected from a magazine forum which had warnings that the poster should not post anything which is not theirs. A poster posted my picture and I chased the publisher and got paid.

 

You can go after both if you can find the individual- they're both infringers. Kerching.

Edited June 16, 2021 by spacecadet

[M.Chapman]

7 hours ago, geogphotos said:

I come across quite a few of images on sites such as Trip Advisor, Kayak, Booking.com

 

Also on directory sites for services such as builders, trades people, local tourists boards, etc.

 

My understanding is that they get around copyright by allowing third parties to upload the images, and those third parties can easily stay anonymous.

 

So, as a result I have just sidelined these transgressions as not worth chasing. 

 

I wonder if anybody has gone after these sort of potential infringements. The big host companies are obviously gaining from this as are the smaller business who are uploading the images. The photographer is getting nothing.

I got a decent settlement via Pixsy. Someone renting out an apartment had used my picture of the local city centre to attract customers, which was not only a breach of my copyright but also of the terms of them using the booking site. They paid up straightaway. I suspect the booking site simply passed the claim onto the renter as they had clearly broken their rules.

 

Mark

Edited June 16, 2021 by M.Chapman

[geogphotos]

2 hours ago, M.Chapman said:

I got a decent settlement via Pixsy. Someone renting an apartment had used my picture of the local city centre to attract customers, which was not only a breach of my copyright but also of the terms of them using the booking site. They paid up straightaway. I suspect the booking site simply passed the claim onto the renter as they had clearly broken their rules.

 

Mark

 

 

Thanks for that Mark. 

[geogphotos]

What about this site?

 

https://www.inyourarea.co.uk

 

That appear to scrape content from other news sites. They aren't just hot-linking they seem to be 'harvesting' images from news sites and then reusing them. 

[spacecadet]

It's mostly a link farm, but if you found your images on its own pages, rather than the links,, that would be an infringement. Not very valuable but might be worth a chase if you can find a contact.

[geogphotos]

It looks to be part of the Trinity Mirror Group - so that will be Reach Publishing who produce all the 'Live' news sites linked to local newspapers.

 

Looks like they licence for 'Live' then also use images for 'InYourArea'.

 

I'll probably leave this alone - media companies seem to have it all stitched up.

Edited June 17, 2021 by geogphotos