lynnb
Veteran
I guess the best thing out of an unwelcome situation like this, is that the more publicity given to legal action taken against people/corporations who use photographs without permission, the less likely others will be inclined to use photos without first checking their ownership and copyright status.
Or perhaps that's just wishful thinking!
Or perhaps that's just wishful thinking!
batey_1020
Well-known
Will be interesting to see the outcome of this case. Im not sure if there has been other examples of it made public in Aus yet. Any idea of any other cases?
rkm
Well-known
Yea, will be very interesting to follow.
As a side note, the end of the article mentions the recent Instagram debacle, and from what I can make of it, all Instagram has done is soften their language while granting themselves the same liberties with everyone's images.
As a side note, the end of the article mentions the recent Instagram debacle, and from what I can make of it, all Instagram has done is soften their language while granting themselves the same liberties with everyone's images.
semi-ambivalent
Little to say
But I want to be popular!
But I want to be popular!
All those 'social media' sites have enormous computer and bandwidth expenses, and no products whatsoever; except your thoughts, your writing, your images, your eyes. Many of the developers of these sites came of age in the Open Source 'It's free man!' Linux explosion.* Many probably retained that mentality. Many are adverse to giving up their wealth. Many of their users are stupid; clicking through the EULA without so much as a second thought.
You're crazy if you trust them.
* For the record, I love Open Source software. My machines at home and work use FreeBSD and my home's network stack uses OpenBSD, and I contribute yearly to both projects. I would have it no other way. But I don't steal the creative and intellectual output of others, and I don't treat people as products to sell.
But I want to be popular!
All those 'social media' sites have enormous computer and bandwidth expenses, and no products whatsoever; except your thoughts, your writing, your images, your eyes. Many of the developers of these sites came of age in the Open Source 'It's free man!' Linux explosion.* Many probably retained that mentality. Many are adverse to giving up their wealth. Many of their users are stupid; clicking through the EULA without so much as a second thought.
You're crazy if you trust them.
* For the record, I love Open Source software. My machines at home and work use FreeBSD and my home's network stack uses OpenBSD, and I contribute yearly to both projects. I would have it no other way. But I don't steal the creative and intellectual output of others, and I don't treat people as products to sell.
noisycheese
Normal(ish) Human
The above is why I have never posted any of my photographs to any social media website and why I decline to permit others to post my photos to any of these websites.
Beyond the "we will do whatever we want with your images and you'll like it" corporate arrogance of these social media giants, there is no justification for the arbitrary and exploitative policies of these billion dollar plus corporate entities. There is absolutely no possible way that thier policies can be justified from a moral or ethical standpoint.
I can see how high school and college age people would want to post images of them and their friends living the party lifestyle - after all, being popular trumps all else in their minds. If those are their values, they are welcome to them.
Anyone who is passionate about photography, works hard and makes sacrifices to make the best images they possibly can and places any kind of value - personal, artistic, historical or economic - on their photographic undertakings is a person who will undoubtedly have a vastly different outlook than the "but I want to be popular" worldview of the high school/college demographic.
A passionate, committed photographer will come to the conclusion that the abusive user agreements of social media websites as no less exploitative than work for hire agreements.
The irony is that with social media, you are in essence agreeing to a work for hire arrangement - but with no payment. You are agreeing to give away your images and your rights as a photographer. Why any thinking person would volunteer for such abuse is beyond me.
There is a way to avoid having your work used and abused by the social media giants. It is: Don't volunteer to be exploited by these arrogant billion dollar corporations.