Image Theft, Watermark Removal

[PKR]

How NOT to be a Photographer: The Case of Tony Le-Britton

From PetaPixel

"If you’re in a photography-related industry, I would highly recommend that you avoid working with photographer Tony Le-Britton, unless you would like to work with someone who has used other people’s images as his own, and would like to potentially be paid in eternal excuses.

The short version of the story is: Tony has been caught stealing and using other photographers’ work as his own. He has also not paid me and others huge amounts of money for over a year. I don’t know who else he has screwed over, so I am speaking out. Learn from our mistake."

https://petapixel.com/2017/08/21/not-photographer-case-tony-le-britton/

 

[PKR]

Swiss Woman Passes Off Thai Photog’s Work, Wins Awards

"BANGKOK — A Swiss photographer was stripped of two international photo awards after it came to light she passed off a Thai photographer’s images as her own."

"She claimed since she bought these photos, she thought that she could manipulate it a little and claim it as her art."


http://www.khaosodenglish.com/life/...tripped-awards-passing-off-thai-photogs-work/


https://petapixel.com/2017/09/01/woman-stripped-prizes-using-public-domain-photos-win-contests/



x

 

[noisycheese]

I would offer that stealing images is not okay and that only lowlife scumbags steal other people's images. It's strange that image theft has become accepted when people would be outraged if a thief stole their money by other methods; it makes no sense.

For purposes of discussion, let's say that an image has a commercial value of $500 USD. When an individual or corporation steals that image, is it really any different from pick-pocketing a man's wallet that has $500 in it, or snatching a woman's purse that contains $500? No. Stealing money just because you can is never okay.

Photographers do not have to accept being stolen from. Copyright register your images. Sign up with Tin Eye so your online images can be tracked. When some scumbag steals your work, make them pay for it. The law is clear and the law is on our side, not the side of lowlife thieves.

Stop being a victim - photographers are not without recourse for addressing image theft.

 

[PKR]

I would offer that stealing images is not okay and that only lowlife scumbags steal other people's images. It's strange that image theft has become accepted when people would be outraged if a thief stole their money by other methods; it makes no sense.

For purposes of discussion, let's say that an image has a commercial value of $500 USD. When an individual or corporation steals that image, is it really any different from pick-pocketing a man's wallet that has $500 in it, or snatching a woman's purse that contains $500? No. Stealing money just because you can is never okay.

Photographers do not have to accept being stolen from. Copyright register your images. Sign up with Tin Eye so your online images can be tracked. When some scumbag steals your work, make them pay for it. The law is clear and the law is on our side, not the side of lowlife thieves.

Stop being a victim - photographers are not without recourse for addressing image theft.

From my experience with photo students ripping my images for "class projects"; they are taught at one of the "very expensive" local art schools that, the practice is okay. One student told me that you can degree in this school (BFA photo) without ever taking a photograph, as PhotoShop + ripped images are enough to get you through course work.

One female student in a verbal confrontation with me, when demanding larger files of my images she found on the web told me: "You're old, you don't get it. Everything is free now, get a clue!". This is the mindset of many photo thieves. When asked why she didn't take her own images, as a photo student.. (not a quote), we're too busy, yours are better, you have to help us. The school said you (meaning photographers local to the school) have to!

It's what caused me to not launch a new web site I had almost finished designing and to take down anything not necessary to do business.

 

[noisycheese]

From my experience with photo students ripping my images for "class projects"; they are taught at one of the "very expensive" local art schools that, the practice is okay. One student told me that you can degree in this school (BFA photo) without ever taking a photograph, as PhotoShop + ripped images are enough to get you through course work.

One female student in a verbal confrontation with me, when demanding larger files of my images she found on the web told me: "You're old, you don't get it. Everything is free now, get a clue!". This is the mindset of many photo thieves. When asked why she didn't take her own images, as a photo student.. (not a quote), we're too busy, yours are better, you have to help us. The school said you (meaning photographers local to the school) have to!

It's what caused me to not launch a new web site I had almost finished designing and to take down anything not necessary to do business.

Narcissism, arrogance and unjustified self-entitlement: Those are at the core of the problem, along with a complete and utter lack of ethics, integrity and honor. Such is our so-called modern culture.

At the end of the day,it is the courts that decide what is lawful and unlawful - not self-entitled spoiled children or their collectivist "teachers" - and the courts have already made their position undeniably clear.

The "what's yours is mine, everything is free" thinking that is prevalent in today's culture is truly vomit inducing.

I wonder how Miss Everything is Free would react if you were to walk up to her and demand she hand over her camera and lenses for three weeks because you are traveling to Nepal to make images and "she has to help you?"

 

[dmr]

I wonder how Miss Everything is Free would react if you were to walk up to her and demand she hand over her camera and lenses for three weeks because you are traveling to Nepal to make images and "she has to help you?"

I assume she might not have a camera if she's hitting on you to help her pony her way through school.

She probably has a cam phone though. 🙂

 

[PKR]

Narcissism, arrogance and unjustified self-entitlement: Those are at the core of the problem, along with a complete and utter lack of ethics, integrity and honor. Such is our so-called modern culture.

At the end of the day,it is the courts that decide what is lawful and unlawful - not self-entitled spoiled children or their collectivist "teachers" - and the courts have already made their position undeniably clear.

The "what's yours is mine, everything is free" thinking that is prevalent in today's culture is truly vomit inducing.

I wonder how Miss Everything is Free would react if you were to walk up to her and demand she hand over her camera and lenses for three weeks because you are traveling to Nepal to make images and "she has to help you?"

Actually, it was much worse.. my studio mate lectured at this school. The students visited the studio about once or twice a month. I stayed clear of them (about 30) when they were around. After a couple of months they figured out who I was. My web info had no studio address. So, after finding my stuff on the web, some of them (I don't know how many) got into our offices and went through my desk looking for pictures, files on optical, etc. When I asked my friend about this, he said he had given them the run of the place while visiting. He didn't know they were in the office. There's a collection of expensive b+w prints hanging in the office, and he likely would have told them it was okay to look.

Most of my files are kept at home. But, there was some film and CDs of current projects. I don't know what they took. They just left my desk a mess. They went through everything. I was on location when this happened and didn't discover it for several days. It was after this incident that this student stopped me in the studio and with her friends around, demanding large files of my work. Really ugly, spoiled, rich kids.

 

[Richard G]

Actually, it was much worse.. my studio mate lectured at this school. The students visited the studio about once or twice a month. I stayed clear of them (about 30) when they were around. After a couple of months they figured out who I was. My web info had no studio address. So, after finding my stuff on the web, some of them (I don't know how many) got into our offices and went through my desk looking for pictures, files on optical, etc. When I asked my friend about this, he said he had given them the run of the place while visiting. He didn't know they were in the office. There's a collection of expensive b+w prints hanging in the office, and he likely would have told them it was okay to look.

Most of my files are kept at home. But, there was some film and CDs of current projects. I don't know what they took. They just left my desk a mess. They went through everything. I was on location when this happened and didn't discover it for several days. It was after this incident that this student stopped me in the studio and with her friends around, demanding large files of my work. Really ugly, spoiled, rich kids.

Extraordinary. Your security problem is physical not virtual. What was your pal thinking? Scary that these little snots have so little respect, even for themselves.

 

[PKR]

Extraordinary. Your security problem is physical not virtual. What was your pal thinking? Scary that these little snots have so little respect, even for themselves.

It was both for a time. If I had no web presence they would have never noticed me. In my old studio, before the web got big, I caught a guy going through a bag of Kodachrome out takes that was in our dumpster. I bought a shredder and solved that problem.

In this case, they found images on the web they liked, but the files were to small to use. So, they went about getting larger files. Every time they cornered me, I told them to make their own photos..they were photo students. They just pushed back harder. There's much more to this, but it won't argue my case any better.

 

[farlymac]

You need to show up at their class with a few police officers in tow. Maybe then they would get the message.

PF

 

[PKR]

You need to show up at their class with a few police officers in tow. Maybe then they would get the message.

PF

I found out days after it happened. I have no idea who was in the building in that time. I think our studio manager, whose desk is next to mine, noticed it first. My photographer friend is at the other end of the office, and wouldn't have seen it.

Those kids aren't all bad. My friend has had 2 assistants over the years that came from that school. The Dept. Head is a big name photographer who knows us. He sends his best grads to us and others each year. Out of a class of maybe 200 he sent 6 last time I was in on this stuff. He said, "We babysit the children of the rich", I've got 6 in this class that I will back with my name.

The worst things I've heard about these students are from the two assistants who went to this school. One told me they constantly rip off each others projects. One kid rented our studio for a school project. It rents for $5k/day. He had no problem paying the fee. I had trouble buying film and paper when in college.. Times have changed.

It's been several years since this happened. No problems with them (that I know of) since. My current theft concern is a possible scan of a large gallery print that made it's way to China. Nothing I can do about this. I'm waiting to see if the image shows up as a poster. Over all, things are much better than they were.

 

[Brian Atherton]

The appropriation of original content on the internet is everywhere – literature, music, images – and is shameless. It is theft. Pure and simple.

Therefore, I restrict the images on my website to 600 pixels on the longest side. At this size visitors can see what I’m up to but the images aren’t good enough for reproduction.

 

[dmr]

Therefore, I restrict the images on my website to 600 pixels on the longest side. At this size visitors can see what I’m up to but the images aren’t good enough for reproduction.

LOL, as if they would want to misappropriate mine. 🙂 🙂 🙂

Lately I've been posting most everything sized to 1200x800 max, not because I really fear theft, but there's really no reason to post anything on the web at a larger resolution.

That size should give a fairly large image on a monitor, enough for anyone viewing to get a detailed look if they want, but only enough for a so-so 8x10 print, certainly not enough for anything presentation-quality, again, as if they would want to. 🙂

 

[noisycheese]

It is incomprehensible that the world of academia takes an extremely dim view of plagiarism and cheating on exams, yet those supposed taboos are thrown out the window when it comes to photography.

A degree from the institution in question - be it a BFA degree or an MFA - can only be regarded as worthless, given that the students are permitted and actually encouraged to steal their way to the desired degree.

Presenting someone else's work as your own is a travesty and is nothing other than theft, plagiarism and cheating; what does the student actually learn about photography when stealing their way to a degree? Nothing.

The utter absence of integrity and ethics in some - perhaps most - facets of academia are as abhorrent as they are amazing...

 

[PKR]

It is incomprehensible that the world of academia takes an extremely dim view of plagiarism and cheating on exams, yet those supposed taboos are thrown out the window when it comes to photography.

A degree from the institution in question - be it a BFA degree or an MFA - can only be regarded as worthless, given that the students are permitted and actually encouraged to steal their way to the desired degree.

Presenting someone else's work as your own is a travesty and is nothing other than theft, plagiarism and cheating; what does the student actually learn about photography when stealing their way to a degree? Nothing.

The utter absence of integrity and ethics in some - perhaps most - facets of academia are as abhorrent as they are amazing...

Schools are about profit more than education these days. Not all schools but, this one is an example of profit over education in the extreme. They have a very shady history and have been owned by the same family for a long time. They are a multi campus art school with vast real estate holdings. They weren't accredited until recently.

 

[PKR]

As often as I see this stuff, it makes me wonder what percent of these frauds are found out?

"Fake War Photographer Gets Exposed After Fooling the World"
https://petapixel.com/2017/09/04/fake-war-photographer-gets-exposed-fooling-world/

 

[robert blu]

Is this a sign of the times we are living in? Ethics and honesty have long gone as virtues...
and the internet (which we all know is very useful) helps these behaviors...
robert
PS: Luckily I'm not a professional photographer but I understand the problems of the pros.

 

[Bill Clark]

The solution for me, when I operated my business, was to include the rights for the client to make their own prints. Trying to sell paper prints, for me at least, turned into a real pita. And, to be truthful, people demanded the files. Some photographers complained about it but most of those went out of business.

Just one example:

I got hired, for several years, to make business portraits from a Mary Kay sales director. It was a great gig. Tell those folks they don't get the files or they come watermarked. Then how do they get the photos on to their business cards, their own web site and places such as social media like Facebook and other promo materials? Ooops, no files, no gig. The banker wouldn't like that.

Window light.

Smiles and fun!

Tough duty:

 

[dmr]

they are taught at one of the "very expensive" local art schools that, the practice is okay.

I'm very surprised that any competent faculty member condones plagiarism. May I inquire as to the exact school in question? If you don't want to post it, please PM me and I'll assure discretion.

 

[PKR]

I'm very surprised that any competent faculty member condones plagiarism. May I inquire as to the exact school in question? If you don't want to post it, please PM me and I'll assure discretion.

Please let me know what you think. No mention of any names please. I don't think it would be good as per any liability Stephen might incur.