Unauthorized use of Alamy Photos

[Paul Glendell]

I have just sent this email and link to Member services so I thought other members might be interested as it may well be your photos that have been taken .  

 

Hello

 

Whilst searching for photos of mine that have been used without permission I came across this web site, not only is there a photo of mine here that has obviously been used without payment ( image has Alamy stamped across it ) but there are several other photos obviously taken from the Alamy site as well.  Are you aware of this and will you be chasing it up, if not I will use Imagerights who I usually use for this.  Given that this is commercial use I assume that payment will not be trivial? 

 

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Many thanks

 

Paul Glendell 

 

[Paul Glendell]

Hello Geoff,  I am sure you are right but have you every tried to get compensation for such usage?  If I don't get anything useful back from member services I'll pass it on to imagerights who have recovered substantial amounts of money for me from other stolen images 

 

paul 

[Paul Glendell]

I have used Imagerights for over  a year now and have had three payouts between £100 and £400 for each one with another £300 payout due next month - I know I will get that money.  They take a long time to get payment sometimes up to a year and sometimes they give up on infringers who should be chasable but all in all I am happy with them.  I have not gone to them with an image that has Alamy plastered across it so obviously so I don't know what the response will be, maybe they will suggest I go through Alamy.  I must mention also the apparent USA infringers seem to pay up much more quickly. Imagerights is based in the USA.  There is an annual fee to pay and you usually ( but not always ) get around 50% of the money or  you can pay an up front fee on a one off basis but there is not guarantee that they will be successful in each case.  I get free membership through my web hosting company Pixelrights ( no direct connection inspite of the similarities in the name)    Its worth it if you have a lot if images that have been taken.  Imagerights can search for them if you upload them to their site or you can just upload an individual infringement to them.

 

Paul

[IanDavidson]

I use Pixsy.  The pricing seems similar.  I have the same issues over timing and that many organisations that steal my images are in places such as China where copyright appears unenforceable.  I was amazed at the number of my images being used without payment.  Flickr seems to be a key source for individuals to use to steal images.  Geoff is right.  It is a big gamble, are you going to make the upfront costs back from recovery?  

 

 

[mickfly]

I also use Pixsy and have received five payments from £106 to £373.

At the moment I am struggling with a claim against a major TV company in the UK who used four of my pics on their website, cut off my watermark at the bottom and have offered to settle for a derisory sum after a year... with a confidentiality clause, so it's still ongoing a I want to write an article about the case and try to shame the buggers into stopping stealing.

I have also chased a few of my own, very successfully, but it leaves a sour taste dealing with some of them, including an artist who painted one of my shots and denied that she had done it, although when I presented a side by side of my photo and her painting she paid me for a licence (£250) although still denying it was my picture!