I am always curious how people find my blog and I take a look at the search terms in my statistics to see how it is that they find me. A couple of days ago, while looking at the search terms I Googled one particular phrase that led someone to my page. I just happened to look at the “images” and found one of my photos leading me to a website that was using one of my photos as their own. You might remember this photo from a post I did in March of 2012.
Toby #1
I was astounded when I saw this, and immediately looked for contact information on their site and graciously asked them to remove my photo as they did not have my express written permission to use my photos as is indicated on my blog page. They ignored my request.
So, I next turned to the WordPress Support Forum and the folks that responded to me were most helpful. What I want to share is the information passed on to me by helpful members of the WordPress community.
I needed to find out who was hosting this website so that I could contact them directly. I was directed to this website that can help you figure out who hosts the offending site: Who is Hosting This?
I was also directed to information that would help me with this issue. Here are a couple of links to articles that were very helpful! These articles are chockful of very useful information!
From the site “ManoloFood.com” I was directed to a really good article entitled: Whine Journalism and How to Bring the Splashback
From WordPress, more great information: Content Theft and What to Do
I have been contacted by the hosting website of the offender and had to send them a DMCA (Digital Millenium Copyright Act) notice, which I have done. This is a letter to the web host that you sign under penalty of perjury. It indicates the site illegally using your content and you add in the link to where your content was stolen from. It asks for the hosting website to immediately remove or disable access to “the infringing material.”
Currently, the offending site does not have any photos showing on the page where my photo was illegally used. I am hoping for a quick resolution of this violation.
A huge thank you goes out to Raincoaster, Happiness Engineer MacManx, and TimeThief!
Hopefully my fellow bloggers and followers, this will not happen to you. And if it does, I hope that the information passed on to me and included in this post will help you!
Have a great Thursday and thanks for visiting!
Thank you so much for not only sharing how this impacted you, but also some of the sites we can visit to learn more. The “rules” seem to be coming at me faster than my capability to understand the technology I’m using. But I want to stay informed. You’ve provided a service and i hope you get your personal matter resolved. It must be very frustrating! Debra
My photo is still out there. I am having trouble now with the hosting site. Hello! My name is on the photo so what is the big deal? Yank it!
The nerve. I had this happen years ago, before the DMCA. Some guy lifted some puppy and adult dog photos from one of my sites. The puppy photos were also on note cards. Then he made a fake kennel site and was “selling” puppies using my images. Someone recognized my images and alerted me. It took time, but I got him shut down.
So good of you to post this and to provide resources.
Thank you Mary!
Thanks so much for this article – so sorry that you’ve had your content used without your permission. Just last week I discovered that one of the articles on my blog has been plagiarised. I’m just about to start trying to sort it out. Thanks so much for you post and I hope that you get a good resolution. All the best, Ruth 🙂
I hope that you do too Ruth!
I am sorry this happened to you. The internet changed the world. Here is a short story. Friends of mine were traveling in Amsterdam and whilst touring they walked past a Travel Agency and there in the window was a picture of a lovely family. Two happy proud smiling parents and 3 children. She froze in her tracks when she recognized the faces of her neighbors. A family portrait had been lifted and used. It was wrong but almost uncontrollable. I don’t know what they did if anything. I am very cautious about posting personal pictures especially of children but feel that once you post on the internet you have virtually “freed” the image. watermarks and signatures can be erased and there are ways to limit theft but I post what I can release without sorrow or regret.
The DMCA protects against illegal use of any content on the internet. How good it is we shall see…still dealing with the hosting site!
I hope you prevail, I bet you do! : )
I have not heard back from the hosting company today. Keeping my fingers crossed.
G’day! I read with interest your post today, TRUE!
Nothing posted on the net is really protected too!
Went through this years ago with photos and original recipes I found on other sites, initially like you, was not happy,
The sites were closed down only to reopen as seems if they want to continue with content theft, they seem to know how to do, especially with recipes and photos too!
Cheers! Joanne
Thanks Barb for the advice. Much appreciated.
My aunt has begged me not to post my pictures for this very reason–at least you have the knowledge how to sign them–not so with this not so tech savvy gal….as an educator I spent a lifetime fighting plagiarism, and needless copying of others….kudos for being proactive and I thank you for paving the path for folks like me who aren’t always aware of how to “fix things” and take matters into one’s own hands!!! and I do love the picture 🙂
One of the articles makes a valid statement that is worth reading: Whine Journalism and How to Bring the Splashback. I direct you to the third paragraph of this article, however the first two are important too!
The path was paved before me. I was just sharing what I went through and am still going through. If only everyone in this world would be honest!
Thank you for loving the photo of my Cat Toby’s toes! They are really quite beautiful! But Madison’s are better, and if I could only get her to pose for me… 🙂
Sad how others feel the need to pilfer the works of others. It comes down to laziness on the part of the offending party as it is easier to steal than to do your own work. Thanks for the links that can help when this situation arises.
I host a website and had another website use one of my photos as their banner photo. I had to basically threaten them with Title 17 of US Code before they did remove my photo. Again, their use of my photo was because they were/are to lazy to take their own and found it easier to steal.
Thanks PJ! Sorry to hear you had to deal with this too! But this gives me an idea as the issue is still unresolved!