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So one of my Alamy images was stolen - what are my next steps?


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On the day I made my first sale, I've found one of my images used on Facebook, with all the Alamy watermarks proudly on view.  What do I do next - contact Alamy? ANy advice would be great.  Thanks in anticipation.

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Let Alamy know, as it's been lifted straight off the site, if it's a commercial infringement. If they don't want to pursue take it to IPEC. You'll need an address in England for that, and evidence that someone in England has seen it.

If it's private, just send FB a takedown.

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Let Alamy know, as it's been lifted straight off the site, if it's a commercial infringement. If they don't want to pursue take it to IPEC. You'll need an address in England for that, and evidence that someone in England has seen it.

If it's private, just send FB a takedown.

Thanks for your reply.  A film festival has taken it, I can't believe how blatant the festival has been.  I'll contact Alamy straight away.

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Alamy has come back to me and said it doesn't chase usage on social media pages.  Do I now contact Facebook, or go straight to the image thief?

 

Might be worth seeing if they also have a website separate to Facebook and if they do, if they are using the image there too.

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Alamy has come back to me and said it doesn't chase usage on social media pages.  Do I now contact Facebook, or go straight to the image thief?

 

Might be worth seeing if they also have a website separate to Facebook and if they do, if they are using the image there too.

 

I've searched the website and it's not on there.

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Go straight to the violator. The first e-mail not too harsh, more inquiring, but stating that they will need a licence for this copyrighted image of yours if they have not bought one already, in which case they should not use the watermarked image.. There are examples of wording even on this forum, as far as I remember. Violators should pay more than the actual licence price when bought legitimately. Remember to save as much evidence as possible, screendumps, etc. before you write the e-mail. Use as much documentation in your e-mail as possible.

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Alamy has come back to me and said it doesn't chase usage on social media pages.  Do I now contact Facebook, or go straight to the image thief?

 

Why not? See Alamy's "Website" license (click on little ? sign): Websites, apps, social media and blogs (excludes advertising). Worldwide for 5 years.

So it's all the same for Alamy whether they buy it or ......... simply nick it.

Understand who can........ I can't!  :wacko:

 

Cheers,

Philippe

 

 

Only one of four exceptions:

 

1. The images shouldn’t be sold via any other agencies or by yourself. As there are chances that we chase up the infringer and finally end up in knowing that this was properly licensed via a different agency to which you had supplied.

 

2. We won’t be chasing private Blog usages. You can flag Blogs for a reviewing panel to look at by filing a DMCA complaint here: http://www.google.com/blogger_dmca.html

 

3. We can chase usages only if it falls in the territories Germany UK, US, Canada or France.

 

4. We won’t be chasing usages on social media websites like Facebook, Twitter etc.

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Thanks everyone for your very helpful comments, I've been in contact with the person responsible and it's all in hand.  She played dumb, claiming she thought it was OK to use watermarked images on the web, but not to print.  She was shocked when I told her what I'll be invoicing her for, but she's assured me she will pay and lesson learned.  Thanks again, guys.

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I'm glad to see this is working out well for the OP. I too am baffled at Alamy declining to pursue an infringement so obviously taken from their site, just because it is on social media; businesses large and small use social media as well as individuals. or do they just mean they don't pursue private individuals for recompense?

 

I've never looked for or pursued any infringement like this one myself on my own images, though I am sure they must exist. This is mostly because my mental health cannot cope with even modest stress/anxiety/conflict, so I avoid such situations wherever I can. I do wonder though if anybody has set up a business service whereby they will pursue infringements on behalf of someone like me where the photog themselves has identified the illegal use, pretty much in the way the OP has done. I would think it might be worth a 50/50 split of any revenue recovered. Does such a service exist anywhere, especially in the UK?

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I'm glad to see this is working out well for the OP. I too am baffled at Alamy declining to pursue an infringement so obviously taken from their site, just because it is on social media; businesses large and small use social media as well as individuals. or do they just mean they don't pursue private individuals for recompense?

 

I've never looked for or pursued any infringement like this one myself on my own images, though I am sure they must exist. This is mostly because my mental health cannot cope with even modest stress/anxiety/conflict, so I avoid such situations wherever I can. I do wonder though if anybody has set up a business service whereby they will pursue infringements on behalf of someone like me where the photog themselves has identified the illegal use, pretty much in the way the OP has done. I would think it might be worth a 50/50 split of any revenue recovered. Does such a service exist anywhere, especially in the UK?

IPP, Imagerights, a newish European one I can't remember the name of. Do a forum search.

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I'm glad to see this is working out well for the OP. I too am baffled at Alamy declining to pursue an infringement so obviously taken from their site, just because it is on social media; businesses large and small use social media as well as individuals. or do they just mean they don't pursue private individuals for recompense?

 

I've never looked for or pursued any infringement like this one myself on my own images, though I am sure they must exist. This is mostly because my mental health cannot cope with even modest stress/anxiety/conflict, so I avoid such situations wherever I can. I do wonder though if anybody has set up a business service whereby they will pursue infringements on behalf of someone like me where the photog themselves has identified the illegal use, pretty much in the way the OP has done. I would think it might be worth a 50/50 split of any revenue recovered. Does such a service exist anywhere, especially in the UK?

I use Pixsy.com (last payment from them) for use in a British commercial site was ovr $370, BUT, they will not pursue FB personal pages or private blogs.

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I'm glad to see this is working out well for the OP. I too am baffled at Alamy declining to pursue an infringement so obviously taken from their site, just because it is on social media; businesses large and small use social media as well as individuals. or do they just mean they don't pursue private individuals for recompense?

 

I've never looked for or pursued any infringement like this one myself on my own images, though I am sure they must exist. This is mostly because my mental health cannot cope with even modest stress/anxiety/conflict, so I avoid such situations wherever I can. I do wonder though if anybody has set up a business service whereby they will pursue infringements on behalf of someone like me where the photog themselves has identified the illegal use, pretty much in the way the OP has done. I would think it might be worth a 50/50 split of any revenue recovered. Does such a service exist anywhere, especially in the UK?

This might the the reason on Alamy's blog in another discussion

http://discussion.alamy.com/index.php?/topic/5719-sharing-of-images-on-social-media/

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I'm glad to see this is working out well for the OP. I too am baffled at Alamy declining to pursue an infringement so obviously taken from their site, just because it is on social media; businesses large and small use social media as well as individuals. or do they just mean they don't pursue private individuals for recompense?

 

I've never looked for or pursued any infringement like this one myself on my own images, though I am sure they must exist. This is mostly because my mental health cannot cope with even modest stress/anxiety/conflict, so I avoid such situations wherever I can. I do wonder though if anybody has set up a business service whereby they will pursue infringements on behalf of someone like me where the photog themselves has identified the illegal use, pretty much in the way the OP has done. I would think it might be worth a 50/50 split of any revenue recovered. Does such a service exist anywhere, especially in the UK?

This might the the reason on Alamy's blog in another discussion

http://discussion.alamy.com/index.php?/topic/5719-sharing-of-images-on-social-media/

 

 

Yes, according to that video, they are welcoming people to share (unpaid) alamy images on social media.  As long as they link back to the image on alamy.

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I'm glad to see this is working out well for the OP. I too am baffled at Alamy declining to pursue an infringement so obviously taken from their site, just because it is on social media; businesses large and small use social media as well as individuals. or do they just mean they don't pursue private individuals for recompense?

 

I've never looked for or pursued any infringement like this one myself on my own images, though I am sure they must exist. This is mostly because my mental health cannot cope with even modest stress/anxiety/conflict, so I avoid such situations wherever I can. I do wonder though if anybody has set up a business service whereby they will pursue infringements on behalf of someone like me where the photog themselves has identified the illegal use, pretty much in the way the OP has done. I would think it might be worth a 50/50 split of any revenue recovered. Does such a service exist anywhere, especially in the UK?

This might the the reason on Alamy's blog in another discussion

http://discussion.alamy.com/index.php?/topic/5719-sharing-of-images-on-social-media/

 

 

Yes, according to that video, they are welcoming people to share (unpaid) alamy images on social media.  As long as they link back to the image on alamy.

 

I think it's in our contract that they can use our images free for advertising the product and I suppose this is exactly what they're doing. We may not like it but that's the deal. :(

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I don't understand why they just don't allow pictures to be saved, or downloaded with the water marks. I imagine it would save money to add built in security measures to the website...

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