Image theft warning.

[NARSES2]

Dizzy. I totally agree with you regarding commercial exploitation. As for posting links to "finds" ? Yes it always good to, but sometimes people just forget, or the link plays up. I think we all know when something is being exploited but even then maybe different people have different views on what constitutes such a thing ?

It's a tricky matter and something the world will have to figure out. After all we are probably not even aware of 99.9% of re-postings on the Net, it is just so vast

[AS.12]

I'm on the side of 'chill out'.

If your photos are good enough for commercial sale, sell them to an agency and don't put copies on fora.

Otherwise, be happy that people enjoy your images and want to share them.  Nothing has been 'stolen', the original raw and JPEGS are still on the disks.

As for commercial use, if I'm not able to make any money from them then why shouldn't someone else?  To me it's like someone rummaging through my car-boot sale, perhaps they buy something for 10 pence that they sell on ebay for £100.  I'm no worse off than I was the day before and they showed initiative.

[Dizzyfugu]

If your photos are good enough for commercial sale, sell them to an agency and don't put copies on fora.

That's the point (and it's actually possible through FlickR), but a reputable user of a pic will ask for permission and explain the usage. Had this several times (e. g. for a blurred pic of my Ta 183 kit that was to be used in a book about Luft '46 designs), and even if I do not earn any money thorugh it, that's the way to go.

But things are IMHO VERY different if you stumble across a seller on ebay who definitively sells bootleg copies of kits, and uses your pictures of the respective (real/official) item. I become indirectly part of criminal activities. Or someone puts your pic into an unwanted context, e. g. politically (the German issue...). Even if there's no recognizable relation to me (Quoting the source? Pourquoi?), I do not WANT the (ab)use of my material in this way.

[loupgarou]

I agree with Dizzy, and, I add another instance:  when someone pass somebody's else work as his own. There is no financial loss, but it's annoying nevertheless.

[Dizzyfugu]

Just warm this up due to two recent occurences:

First was on FlickR, where someone downloaded one of my pics and re-uploaded it in his own account, without giving any credit.
Thankfully, this could be settled on PM level and the content was removed by the poster himself.

Another one concerns a video on Youtube in which several FlickR pics of a Ta 183 kit of mine were used as stills - without asking or permission, of course. Crappy video, BTW, and I'd never given permission to use my artwork in the presented way and context.
The poster did not react at all to multiple PM advice or a public comment concerning image theft and lack of credentials - so I filed a legal act at Youtube. Within two days the video was removed by admins! Highly appreciated, and I never expected such a quick and thorough response.

[NARSES2]

Interesting Dizzy. Glad it was sorted out so quickly

[Captain Canada]

Yes, nice to hear it was sorted so quickly !

[Dizzyfugu]

I was amazed how quickly Youtube reacted, because you have to fill out a standard form - but you have no opportunity to describe the issue, or provide links for references. And you can only claim one issue per video - I had four!