Here's an update on the scandal.
http://hollybellemaltese.com/index2.html

Someone stole some of my pictures of Tuffy off of my dogpages.net page and then used them on their own site and touted him as their own dog! I was able to have the admin there disable to the page the person had but I can't do anything about them using the pictures elsewhere unless I find them. I ended up just removing all of the pictures off of there and now I watermark all the pictures I put online now. It won't prevent someone who's really determined from stealing them and then removing the watermark with a photo editing program.. but that person would have to go through a lot of trouble to do that and would hopefully just bypass the picture all together. I found out that on Maltese Only that if you put your dog's picture up that there is a disclaimer that is super hard to find that the website owns your pictures after that and can use them as they please.. and use them they did, they put them all into an album and charged people to access it. :mad:

Was Hollybelle the one that advertised in YF with a pic of a country singer? I do not see that ad in my mags anymore..

Good ole Billy Ray! She also ran adds in Dog Fancy and I have seen reference to her in a few other publications.

What nerve!
 

Wow this is absolutely horrible! I cannot believe the nerve of some people.. . .I wish there was a way to stop all fraud. I wasn't aware of how often this happens because I am new to the yorkie world lol. My heart goes out to all of you whose yorkie was placed on a website claiming it is for sale. I can't immagine what I would do if I saw mine like that. It is so sad, yorkies are adorable companions who just want some one to love them! They do not deserve being misrepresented!!!


Christine :aimeeyork

One question... when you say watermark do you mean take a drop of water and put it on the picture? i'm lost!!!!!!! thanks

I think that this is the best thing to do. If someone copies the picture, they can't remove it.

As a professional photographer, copyright infringement of any type is a sore subject with me. Your rights to an image begin the moment the photograph is snapped. Even if the image is of someone famous, the creator of the image is the one that holds the copyright of said photo.

I've defended this many times in different forums on the Internet. LIFTING A PHOTOGRAPH is wrong no matter what!

You are not guaranteed protection even if you watermark the image. There are people out there than will do their best to remove the copyright watermark from the image.

Make it is hard as possible to steal your photos -- watermark them -- very heavily. Post a statement on your website saying that watermark-free images are provided to those that express a sincere interest in purchasing a pup.

PROTECT your intellectual rights as the creator of your images!!!

This is a really quick version of what I would consider "water marking" your photos. You can make it either less or more noticeable.

Found this:

Q: I've heard that unless a photographer applies to the copyright office for a copyright its not copyrighted.
A: DON'T BELIEVE IT. All photos are copyrighted the minute they're created, whether the photographer takes steps to protect the image or not. These rights are international by agreement, treaty and the Berne Convention. The copyright is the exclusive property of the "author", artist, or photographer.

Q: So how is it there are so many pictures available for download on the Internet?
A: In some cases the photographer has given up all rights to the photo and specifically placed the image in the public domain. However this is VERY rare. In most cases the image is still protected by copyrights. If the image is used for any commercial purpose the photographer can sue for copyright infringement. BEWARE a lawsuit for theft isn't something a company wants in tomorrows business section of the newspaper! If you can't track down the photographer DON'T USE THE IMAGE!

Q: What are the penalties for illegally using a photo.
A: Pretty much the same for violating any copyright, its theft and is treated that way. Civil suits have been brought in the millions. FPG International sued Newsday a couple of years ago for $700,000 for creating a composite image out of three separate images. Tony Stone Images sued Corel over about the same thing. This is serious and should be taken serious. If companies this large can fall in to legal trouble image what could happen with your company. Best to buy the rights you need, It'll cost you a lot less in the long run. There can even be criminal penalties!

Q: What if I properly obtain a license and then decide to use the image for something else?
A: Any use not specified on your license or contract MUST be renegotiated. Rarely do you obtain full rights in a license, if you did you would know it because it would have cost you plenty. Violations of a license are considered copyright infringement.

Q: How long does a photographer get to claim copyright on an image?
A: Unlike a patent a copyright is for life. Actually life plus 50 years.

http://www.eaglestock.com/crights.htm

OOOOOOh ok thanks. oh man am i stupid or what lol. i didn't think putting a watermark on it was dropping water on it but thats what it sounds like! thanks again!

There's a code for programming so no one can take your pictures. When someone trys to take your picture it says can't copy already copywritten.

There is a code for web pages but is there some way to do this with an individual picture?

If there were a foolproof way to do what you are all asking (protecting images from being lifted from the Internet, professional photographers would have found the way to do it.

I\'m a professional photographer and even the Professional Photographer\'s Association hasn\'t been able to come up with a way to do this.

Photographers, whose livelihood relys on protection of their images from theft, have searched long and hard for a solution. At this time, there is none.