Posting/Protecting model pictures.

[seadude]

How do people add watermarks/copyright marks, etc. (If any) to their model pictures when they post it online? Or don't you do it at all? I don't have any special editing software except for what's already on my comp such as MS Paint and MS PhotoDraw.
The reason I was curious about watermarks and such is that last year (or maybe it was earlier this year?), some model ship pictures I had posted to various model forums were "liberated" so to speak by a person who then uploaded them to his PB (Photobucket) account, then posted them on a model/military forum somewhere in S.E. Asia I think? From what little I could translate of the forum, the guy didn't bother to credit me or where he got the pics from.    I'm not sure whether I should let PB deal with this guy or not. I can understand somewhat about "fair use", and "Once you put something on the Net, It's fair game and anyone can see it", etc., etc., etc.  But what this guy did still rubs me the wrong way.   

[lenny100]

now we are becoming the place to go to to find the photos of unusual aircraft i think its something we all need to think about even if it a general site one rather than a individual watermark.

[Aircav]

Hi Seadude
Found this on the net, hope its of some help.
http://picmarkr.com/
All the best
Steve

[Hobbes]

Just about any photo editing program (incl MS Paint) should allow you to add text to a photo.

[seadude]

I'm really not sure what to do. The problem about adding any marks or other stuff is that I don't want to put them over the model or any details on the model, etc. as I don't want to block the view of the model in a pic when someone is looking at the pic.
I do like to share pics of the work I've done with other modelers, but when someone steals pics and doesn't give proper credit, then that just angers me.
Take a look at the following and judge for yourself.
Website: http://panggilanpertiwi.forumotion.net/

Thread where my Habakkuk pics were found: http://panggilanpertiwi.forumotion.net/t846-hms-habbakuk-skala-1-700scratchbuild-project

Google translation of thread: http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=ms&u=http://panggilanpertiwi.forumotion.net/t846-hms-habbakuk-skala-1-700scratchbuild-project&ei=lnXZTuutFYjO2wWk1-3UDg&sa=X&oi=translate&ct=result&resnum=1&sqi=2&ved=0CCMQ7gEwAA&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dhttp://panggilanpertiwi.forumotion.net/t846-hms-habbakuk-skala-1-700scratchbuild-project%26hl%3Den%26biw%3D1024%26bih%3D629%26prmd%3Dimvns

Photobucket account of that other modeler: http://s27.photobucket.com/albums/c190/Athrun_Zala_2006/HMS%20Habbakuk%201%20700/#

What constitutes "fair use"? Instead of feeling anger, Should I just instead feel glad that someone has enjoyed the work that I did and shown it to other military/model enthusiasts who may enjoy reading and learning about the Habakkuk subject?

[PR19_Kit]

At the very least he should have acknowledged all your hard work on the project.

The 'translatiom' makes very little sense so it's difficult to understand if anyone on that site has assumed it's his work or not.

[rickshaw]

He should acknowledge you, at the very least.   Have you approached him?   Alternatively, create an account there and point out the pictures are yours.  If he turns nasty, then just point out that he had failed to attribute them to you.

I should warn you, thats a Malay nationalist site.   Some, shall I say, interesting political views are on display there.

[Aircav]

Speaking of pictures being used and no acknowledgment, post #330
http://www.zonamilitar.com.ar/foros/threads/el-club-de-los-bombarderos-de-posguerra.23281/page-17

[Mossie]

The translation picks up 'overseas modeller' in the first line, another online translation says 'by a foreign modeller' so it seems he isn't trying to take credit for it.  Yes, he should have credited you or provide a link but it's the sort of thing that happens a lot on modelling sites including this one occasionally (we're much better than we used to be at crediting).  As you say, it's the risk you run when posting on the web.

[matrixone]

This sort of thing happened to me a few years ago and had mixed feelings over it...its nice someone wanted to copy it but also felt ripped off at the same time.

Matrixone