Stolen Photos from RailPictures.net

RailBus63 wrote:The person who posted those 1,200 photos on Flickr made sure to crop out the RRPictures.net copymark at the bottom of each image - I don't think we're dealing with some kid who liked the pics and didn't know any better.

It could be an adult who is just making a collection, aware or unaware of the implications- unless they say explicity that they are their photos, in which case their intent was not innocent.

Otto Vondrak wrote:

3rdrail wrote:Sully - I'm not a lawyer, but if I'm not mistaken, you can't steal a photo off the net that's then used on another web site. I believe that no copyright is in force as they then become public domain. I get my pics taken off Railroad.net regularly. The only time that I would make a fuss is if I saw them being used commercially for profit. Then, I would demand a cut.

With all due respect: Wrong, wrong, wrong. The photos still remain your property. They DO NOT become public domain. You have every right to request they be removed.

-otto-

Quite so, Otto. Also, publishing the photos on the net or otherwise, perfects the copyright if a suitable copyright notice is attached.

I always looked at it this way people have been stealing others images for years. I have close to 2000 pics up on the RR Picture Archives. If someone stole a few I could give a flyin fig about it, then again my photos aren't even worth the $0.10 for the paper they were printed on!

This is why I've stopped the wholesale posting of images online for free. As someone who makes money off railroad photography I don't want my images credited to somebody else. I also understand that simply posting photos online for free will make them less valuable for sale. I do still scan and post my images to a directory on my web site for my friends to see, but one has to know where they are to see them. I'm sure the world is no worse for not seeing my photos as I don't view railfan photos online myself and don't feel I'm missing anything.

~BS

I agree with many of you on this, and as nick and sully know its not the first time this has happend. I personally dont take alot of photos but i only have about 10% of my collection online because if i uploaded my entire collection id be wasting my time. I post the photos that I think are really good or that I would really like to share with others to see or for opinions. Otherwise my collection stays here. I'd love to share, but your going to have to come over for coffee and cake or something if you wanna do that.

The internet is a great place but unfortunatly with crap like this going on its also just as much a horrible place....

radioboy wrote:

3rdrail wrote:Sully - I'm not a lawyer, but if I'm not mistaken, you can't steal a photo off the net that's then used on another web site. I believe that no copyright is in force as they then become public domain. I get my pics taken off Railroad.net regularly. The only time that I would make a fuss is if I saw them being used commercially for profit. Then, I would demand a cut.

That is absolutely incorrect. If a work is yours, you are the only person who decides whether it is copyrighted, creative commons, or public domain. Having it be used on another website does not make it public domain. If merely putting something on a website made it public domain, the RIAA and MPAA wouldn't have cases.

No, it can only be taken if there is a specific GNU licence granting free and fair-use. However, whether or not to assume fair-use GNU is debatable if it's not specified.

While I don't condone "stealing" photos, I do have to ask; How does one enforce copyrights or prevent "theft" in this instance ???

It is so expensive to try to enforce copyright that unless what has been stolen is of considerable value it is practically impossible to take action. But this kind of theft is not by any means confined to photos or the internet. Lately I notice more and more instances of book authors pulling large "quotes" from previously published books or magazine articles without ever asking the permission of the original publisher or author. Under the copyright laws you are allowed to quote small passages for the purpose of review only, anything else requires permission of the original copyright holder to reproduce it.

As long as there are talentless individuals who are willing to steal to make themselves some money or are low enough to stick their name on work stolen from others to give the illusion they produced something that would normally be far beyond their own capabilities, this kind of stuff is unavoidable. The really sad thing is that some of the people that do this kind of thing in this hobby are quite well known and there usually is no significant criticism or consequences resulting from their doing it.

Isn't it curious that people who steal others photos and post them on another website are the subject of anger and concern (as it should be, they are stealing) while authors who steal from other authors published works, and paste the stolen material into their manuscripts that a publisher pays them for, (and then charges you for a copy of the stolen text) are often viewed as celebrities in the hobby because so much of their "work" has been published.

Sometimes this hobby is just plain disgusting.

MX

I understand the concern of someone who sells their photos for a living, as well as a photographer who finds that another person has taken credit for a photo or photos that they themself have taken...but otherwise is it worth getting upset over somebody copying an internet shot and putting it on their own computer or a fan site, without involving either of the above in the real world ? I'm more worried about some drunk turning me into their hood ornament as I cross the street ! Somebody once said, "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery", (a quote which I just stole by the way). So sue me.

All artists get robbed in on way or another. The second you express your ideas, someone is out there to exploit it. That's the nature of things. As far as pictures go,the only way to really protect yourself is to literally file for a copyright so that if someone does use your imageswithout permision you can sue for damages. Otherwise, simply putting a copywrite on the photo won't do much good. A person can make a copy without permision and even if you catch the person and take him or her to coart you probebly won't get anything for damages. As for putting images on the web, I do so knowing that someone might dowload them. But there only for a sertain group of individuals that i know and then take them off after a short time.

3rdrail wrote:I get my pics taken off Railroad.net regularly.

I don't believe we are hosting any of your photos on RAILROAD.NET servers...? If we are, please let me know.

I have photos of my own posted to my flickr account. If they get filched, I'm not too terribly worried because they are lo-resolution grainy scans from a desktop scanner- hardly publication material. They're too small, if you tried to print one in a magazine, they'd be too grainy and rejected instantly. They are meant to be enjoyed on the screen only. The people who post full-resolution 8x10 images on the web are the ones who are in trouble... but who does that?

-otto-

Otto Vondrak wrote:

3rdrail wrote:I get my pics taken off Railroad.net regularly.

I don't believe we are hosting any of your photos on RAILROAD.NET servers...? If we are, please let me know.

-otto-

Sorry Otto. That was a typo. I meant to say NERAIL. I've made the correction. Thanks.

Looks like those accounts have been deleted or emptied of content.

I sometimes worry bout my photos being swiped, but then again, i do have originals, and google searches of photos relating to ones i've taken only bring up ones i've posted in forums myself.

- A

I would still encourage people who would like to see their photos remain around forever to bite the bullet and put them on Wikimedia Commons or Wikipedia in the highest possible quality.

They will become part of a lasting collection of work for many years, possibly forever and Wikipedia has a full discussion page system for each photo, so you can still receive feedback.

People are starting to publish books for schools and libraries from Wikipedia -- your photos could be put to great use here.