Comments on: Photo theft and how to prevent it

By: Filip

Filip — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 18:48:58 +0000

Hi, watermarking is good, but it damage the photo impression and can be photoshoped out as mentioned. I have good experiences with DigiMarc and SignMyImage (which is much cheaper), they both provide invisible watermarking and image tracing on internet.

By: Lowell

Lowell — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 21:36:36 +0000

When I was invited to be the photographer on the first balloon festival in Rajasthan a couple of years ago, I learned how deceptive the Indian media will be on its coverage. Every image they produced was doctored. In one image on the front page of the paper, the balloon I was in was in the image twice. The newspapers in India are obviously not credible when it comes to photography. Don’t believe anything you see.

By: Shrinidhi Hande

Shrinidhi Hande — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 03:38:46 +0000

One good way will be to bloggers supporting each other and giving publicity to the theft- The negative publicity should force the media to initiate damage control and do not repeat the mistake in future…

By: Shefaly

Shefaly — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 13:19:57 +0000

Oh, I did not suggest this is only unique to desis but your post _is_ about plagiarism by desi newspapers who are stealing from desi bloggers (and some desi and non-desi Flickerers).

I could add my plagiarism related experiences about other kinds too. But you see black people can call themselves the n-word but others can’t, and Jewish people can tell holocaust jokes but others can’t, so I use my privilege to flog my own fellow desis while carefully avoiding all traps that come with stereotyping about other race/ community types

At coping blatantly, the crown does not belong to India. But I better not say any more.

Lekhni: Like Sikhs are the first to tell Sardarji jokes, or the overweight laugh at themselves.. I suppose it’s a defense mechanism – you laugh at yourself because it somehow makes you more likeable..

I am curious – who does the crown for blatant copying belong to?

By: Rajesh Kumar

Rajesh Kumar — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 06:06:22 +0000

You have brought up an important issue. This is shameless plagiarism that cannot be defended.

Lekhni: I only wish more people would speak up against it.

By: Su

Su — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 15:27:17 +0000

that was some important lesson! i think wordpress holds copyrights for all its blogs. in case i’m right, we can fight thru WP. but if i’m wrong, i have a reason to smile(for having all my content as rightfully mine) and a reason to frown(i will have to fight alone)…

Lekhni: Start smiling – WordPress does not hold any copyright for your content – you alone have all the rights to your content.

By: Meeta

Meeta — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 10:25:34 +0000

Thanks for doing this. I know we all need to be reminded about how good the Indian Press used to be! My grandfather used to be so proud of the Indian Media! Today we forget that as the same papers are stooping to such lowly things! It would make my nana turn in his grave!
The right click hack is no good. It messes up several things on the website/blog and screws up scripts etc. The only solution is for all of us to get together and protest publicly about such issues. Use their own weapons (media, internet etc) against them.

@shefaly: you are naughty

Lekhni: You are right, I wish more people would protest publicly

By: Shefaly

Shefaly — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 05:24:03 +0000

Lekhni

This was bound to happen, no? It is eminently desi behaviour. If it looks like we can have it for free, we will try and when we know it can be had for free, we will take it.

You put things on Flickr or your blog; you are ‘asking for it’ to be stolen. Aren’t you?

Indian friends of mine in Boston, who are doctors, have set a ‘kerbside friends and family consultation’ rate because people seem to ask them for free advice all the time. On the kerbside. The two-fer and ‘Doctor, one more thing’ are other similar manifestations.

The funniest thing is when I tell curious people I work with investors, they ask me for stock market tips. Even without asking further what I really do for them. I am thinking I should have some fun with that esp in the current environment.

Lekhni: Well, I wouldn’t generalize all Indians, and stealing isn’t exactly a uniquely Indian behavior

The “free medical advice” part is hilarious, but again, that’s not restricted to Indians either The other free advice requests that I have personal experience of is stock tip requests (and no, it’s not just Indians)

By: maxdavinci

maxdavinci — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 18:57:38 +0000

ok fine I am guilty as charged! I’ve used pics from image search on many flyers and posters but I guess that doesn’t cause much harm.

Lets face it, if someone wants your pic they will get it so right clicking or disabling hot clicking only makes it a wee bit difficult.

What i’d like to see is newspapers using more and more of blogger images but then a small line below stating the source. Come to think of it, it works both ways. The image is free(It’s ont eh internet for god’s sake!) and the blogger gets some publicity!

gosh when will these newspaper morons learn!

Lekhni: If you are using others pictures without attribution or permission, then you are not doing the right thing. Drop a line and tell them you liked your picture and are using it, nearly every time they will agree. Hey, you are using someone’s work for free, how much does it cost you to send in a word of appreciation?

I agree that newspapers should have a line below the picture attributing the picture to the blogger (after all, they do include photographers’ names). BUT they should first get the permission of the blogger to use the picture in any case.

By: Reema

Reema — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 17:53:57 +0000

Thanks for the links. I have to start watermarking my photos now.

Lekhni: GIMP allows you to even add hidden watermarks. I am also learning about all those features