Infringement Cases

[ROC]

After finally having an infringement case showing in my account - thank you to the legal team - it makes me wonder how many images of ours are used without our knowledge. What search terms are the best to use when checking to see where images have been used?  

Edited February 28 by ROC

[wiskerke]

4 hours ago, ROC said:

After finally having an infringement case showing in my account - thank you to the legal team - it makes me wonder how many images of ours are used without our knowledge. What search terms are the best to use when checking to see where images have been used?  

Your own keywords?

 

Even your pseudonym works in some cases. In that case do exclude Alamy and all it's non-English sites and all of their distributors though. Otherwise the haystack is immense.

In your case in Google Images try something like : "ros crosland" alamy -site:alamy.com -site:alamy.es -site:alamy.de -site:alamyimages.fr -site:alamy.it -site:alamy.pt -site:acionline.biz -site:amanaimages.com -site:arabianeye.com -site:latinstock.com.mx

If you get more distributors, add them in the same way.

 

But for me reverse image search works the best.

First of all, search everything that has been licensed in the past, because those would be the easiest to nick. However the ones doing it are often in countries or regions where we have no clout at all.

Then search everything that has been zoomed, because clients once in a while forget to pay for a use. Not often, but it does happen, even with serious clients. OTOH they may pay serious money if it does happen. More often those will just appear as a normal license though.

 

Lots has been said on this forum and elsewhere about letting Alamy do the work or sending your own legal service if you use one.

 

I use the browser extension Search by Image for reverse searches, because it's convenient (just right click on an image in my browser).

On that page are a range of buttons that will get you to your app store or browser plug-ins page. Here is the list of search engines it can use, you will need to check their boxes before the first use. You can check a lot of boxes and decide to use one or the other on a case by case basis. Or just check the most common ones, like Google, Bing, Tineye (and don't forget Yandex) and then just hit All search engines. I would start with this.

Play around with the different engines to see if they're of any use to you.

 

A word of caution re Google Images or Lens: the results can be rubbish at the moment. They seem to only want to sell you stuff. Which is a pity because not long ago it was the best there was.

 

wim

Edited February 28 by wiskerke
typo

[geogphotos]

If your images are marked as Exclusive then you should leave any copyright chasing to Alamy - it's in the contract. Even with non-Exclusive images Alamy asks that we do not chase any infringements without first checking with them.  Of course, you can search and then refer back to Alamy.

 

As to finding infringements - try one of the services such as Pixsy or Copytrack. If you have your images online somewhere ( as I have on my website hosted by Photoshelter) it is a simple case of synchronising them with the Pixsy system. With Copytrack you have to upload images into their system - you could upload all sales/zooms and keep adding every month or so.

 

You will find a lot of dead leads - personal blogs, countries where chasing infringements is not possible, and also 'hot-linking'.

Edited February 28 by geogphotos

[geogphotos]

 

Above is the Pixsy image Import page showing the various platforms that they use. The image shows active synchronisation between my pics on Photoshelter being indexed by Pixsy. 

[ROC]

37 minutes ago, wiskerke said:

Your own keywords?

 

Even your pseudonym works in some cases. In that case do exclude Alamy and all it's non-English sites and all of their distributors though. Otherwise the haystack is immense.

In your case in Google Images try something like : "ros crosland" alamy -site:alamy.com -site:alamy.es -site:alamy.de -site:alamyimages.fr -site:alamy.it -site:alamy.pt -site:acionline.biz -site:amanaimages.com -site:arabianeye.com -site:latinstock.com.mx

If you get more distributors, add them in the same way.

 

But for me reverse image search works the best.

First of all, search everything that has been licensed in the past, because those would be the easiest to nick. However the ones doing it are often in countries or regions where we have no clout at all.

Then search everything that has been zoomed, because clients once in a while forget to pay for a use. Not often, but it does happen, even with serious clients. OTOH they may pay serious money if it does happen. More often those will just appear as a normal license though.

 

Lots has been said on this forum and elsewhere about letting Alamy do the work or sending your own legal service if you use one.

 

I use the browser extension Search by Image for reverse searches, because it's convenient (just right click on an image in my browser).

On that page are a range of buttons that will get you to your app store or browser plug-ins page. Here is the list of search engines it can use, you will need to check their boxes before the first use. You can check a lot of boxes and decide to use one or the other on a case by case basis. Or just check the most common ones, like Google, Bing, Tineye (and don't forget Yandex) and then just hit All search engines. I would start with this.

Play around with the different engines to see if they're of any use to you.

 

A word of caution re Google Images or Lens: the results can be rubbish at the moment. They seem to only want to sell you stuff. Which is a pity because not long ago it was the best there was.

 

38 minutes ago, wiskerke said:

Your own keywords?

 

Even your pseudonym works in some cases. In that case do exclude Alamy and all it's non-English sites and all of their distributors though. Otherwise the haystack is immense.

In your case in Google Images try something like : "ros crosland" alamy -site:alamy.com -site:alamy.es -site:alamy.de -site:alamyimages.fr -site:alamy.it -site:alamy.pt -site:acionline.biz -site:amanaimages.com -site:arabianeye.com -site:latinstock.com.mx

If you get more distributors, add them in the same way.

 

But for me reverse image search works the best.

First of all, search everything that has been licensed in the past, because those would be the easiest to nick. However the ones doing it are often in countries or regions where we have no clout at all.

Then search everything that has been zoomed, because clients once in a while forget to pay for a use. Not often, but it does happen, even with serious clients. OTOH they may pay serious money if it does happen. More often those will just appear as a normal license though.

 

Lots has been said on this forum and elsewhere about letting Alamy do the work or sending your own legal service if you use one.

 

I use the browser extension Search by Image for reverse searches, because it's convenient (just right click on an image in my browser).

On that page are a range of buttons that will get you to your app store or browser plug-ins page. Here is the list of search engines it can use, you will need to check their boxes before the first use. You can check a lot of boxes and decide to use one or the other on a case by case basis. Or just check the most common ones, like Google, Bing, Tineye (and don't forget Yandex) and then just hit All search engines. I would start with this.

Play around with the different engines to see if they're of any use to you.

 

A word of caution re Google Images or Lens: the results can be rubbish at the moment. They seem to only want to sell you stuff. Which is a pity because not long ago it was the best there was.

 

wim

Thank you so much for all this, it’s really helpful. I’ve never done such a detailed search. Just used my name and words like “image credit” etc which is where I have found a few images used. 

[ROC]

31 minutes ago, geogphotos said:

If your images are marked as Exclusive then you should leave any copyright chasing to Alamy - it's in the contract. Even with non-Exclusive images Alamy asks that we do not chase any infringements without first checking with them.  Of course, you can search and then refer back to Alamy.

 

As to finding infringements - try one of the services such as Pixsy or Copytrack. If you have your images online somewhere ( as I have on my website hosted by Photoshelter) it is a simple case of synchronising them with the Pixsy system. With Copytrack you have to upload images into their system - you could upload all sales/zooms and keep adding every month or so.

 

You will find a lot of dead leads - personal blogs, countries where chasing infringements is not possible, and also 'hot-linking'.

Thank you, this is helpful too. I have my own website and sell directly to the public so many of my images aren’t exclusive. I’ll have a look at Pixsy and Copytrack. 

[geogphotos]

4 minutes ago, ROC said:

Thank you, this is helpful too. I have my own website and sell directly to the public so many of my images aren’t exclusive. I’ll have a look at Pixsy and Copytrack. 

 

 

Both have free versions for a limited number of images. 

 

Apart from finding infringements it is always interesting to see how images are used and who is using them - can also be useful for DACS claims.

Edited February 28 by geogphotos

[Allan Bell]

I am using Pixsy and they have found a few of mine mostly paid for use which I marked them as approved. Some from distro which I have had ignored.

 

A few on personal, not commercial, sites which Pixsy do not chase.

 

I reported some to Alamy but they cannot do anything either.

 

Might as well give up.

 

Allan

 

[geogphotos]

I agree that there are a lot of dud matches with Pixsy and that it takes time to sort through the results.

 

But, sadly as a reflection of where we are, I am earning far more from infringements than from stock photo licences! 

 

The most lucrative thing is when Pixsy cancel a case and I have been able to pursue it myself using the Money Claim Online system as a recourse. 

Edited February 28 by geogphotos

[Allan Bell]

Forgot to mention one of my images appears on a porn site. It has nothing to do with porn. Alamy would not chase it.

 

Allan

 

[wiskerke]

3 hours ago, Allan Bell said:

Forgot to mention one of my images appears on a porn site. It has nothing to do with porn. Alamy would not chase it.

 

Allan

 

Haha! Finding yesterday's leaking pipe image (infringement), I did a reverse image search and found my leaking pipe used here.

No porn, nor nudity, still not completely SFW either, so click on your own risk. 😂

Not sure that was the infringement though, because it was credited to Alamy. Plus the fee was a bit high (lower but decent $$$) for such a site. Otoh who knows how much money such an outfit makes.

 

wim

 

edit: Hypestat estimates that domain makes $400,000 a year.  Now how much would they be paying per image?

Edited February 28 by wiskerke

[StokeCreative]

7 hours ago, wiskerke said:

Haha! Finding yesterday's leaking pipe image (infringement), I did a reverse image search and found my leaking pipe used here.

No porn, nor nudity, still not completely SFW either, so click on your own risk. 😂

Not sure that was the infringement though, because it was credited to Alamy. Plus the fee was a bit high (lower but decent $$$) for such a site. Otoh who knows how much money such an outfit makes.

 

wim

 

edit: Hypestat estimates that domain makes $400,000 a year.  Now how much would they be paying per image?

 

Ohh myyyy haha

[Allan Bell]

13 hours ago, wiskerke said:

Haha! Finding yesterday's leaking pipe image (infringement), I did a reverse image search and found my leaking pipe used here.

No porn, nor nudity, still not completely SFW either, so click on your own risk. 😂

Not sure that was the infringement though, because it was credited to Alamy. Plus the fee was a bit high (lower but decent $$$) for such a site. Otoh who knows how much money such an outfit makes.

 

wim

 

edit: Hypestat estimates that domain makes $400,000 a year.  Now how much would they be paying per image?

 

Wow!

 

Allan

 

[Steve F]

13 hours ago, wiskerke said:

so click on your own risk

 

Can't...

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[BradleyPhoto]

On 28/02/2024 at 12:36, geogphotos said:

 

Above is the Pixsy image Import page showing the various platforms that they use. The image shows active synchronisation between my pics on Photoshelter being indexed by Pixsy. 

That's clever I didn't know that was possible!