Picture theft...on eBay

[CarDude]

Ok, since I saw the same type of problem in an earlier thread, I have some questions about what is public domain. Some eBay vendor (Tint Art Signs) stole pictures of my SRT-10 Ram with custom painted stripes ($5K) and is now using the pictures on eBay as well as his personal site (http://decal.tintart.com) to sell vinyl stripes. I only bring this up because of another unmentionable thread where the same problem is called into question. Here is the original post at the Viper Truck Club of America http://www.vtcoa.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5237 read it if you like.

This guy is now threatening to sue this other website for slanderous behavior because it got quite personal when he started insulting others and myself. There are other posts on the matter that I will not bore you, with even though it is quite entertaining. My real question is, have any of you been a victim of this type of behavior.

Don’t get me wrong, I am flattered that someone wants to use a photo (even though I beleive leagally you shoudl have the owners permission), but angry when they misrepresent factual information with it. I think it is false advertisement...what do you think?

BTW this gentleman thinks that any exposure is good exposure. He is not a celebrity…

Steal photos of my Viper...it looks like ever copperhead, no one will know who's it is.

 

[AviP]

I guess club members will not be buying from him. If his pre-sales is so bad, imagine the post-sales.

 

[ViperBite]

CarDude,

Try another approach. Notify Dodge that this Vendor may be using their trademarked/copyright material without authorization. I would doubt that the Sneaky Pete and Viper Fangs logo's he uses are used with permission. Not only that he seems to be coping the Viper logo exactly as well. Not sure what is or is not protected by Dodge but what the hell, let Dodge deal with him. Oh, and let him know you "sic'ed" Dodge on him....Hell let the IRS know he has to be hiding income. That will make his day.

 

[Bandit3]

My thought would be, how can I make money from this? Nothing is better than hitting someone in their wallet. Threaten with the above mentioned items then offer to settle with the person for a cut of the action. North Jersey Italian thoughts. John

 

[viper GTS-R]

Tell ya what, He needs an adjustment. I don't include my name in photos for the sole reason of keeping my name safe and keeping the pictures clean. Not every person out there wants a nice photo with some BOLD signiture in the corner, so on my site I keep a disclaimer that it's my work and if anyone wants to use any of my photos 99% of them are nice enough to send me a IM or a e-mail if I can give them the ok.

THIS however is ********..

"You're not too bright if you think you're the sole owner of that particular red truck with white racing stripes. I must have done at least 100 local red trucks and taken pictures of the jobs."

Prove it..Prove that you've got a picture on your hard drive taken with your camera of a red ram SRT-10 with dual white stripes, bed cover, and a stripe out back at that angle. To go one further, weather your camera does it or not the pic of your truck that you took, if you right clicked on it and go to properties there should be the name of your camera.

Hope this helps a bit...do everything you can to get him busted.

--RS

 

[Copperhead245]

Since that other recent thread about unauthorized use of pictures (where Posting policies is brought up) is closed...

This forum is "For technical and general questions and discussions related to the "GEN III" SRT-10 convertible and Coupe Vipers (2003+)."

 

[zen garage]

Let me guess, his name is Racer Robbie and he has a pic of your truck right next to my SRT...
Were the pictures lifted from your gallery on this website like mine were

 

[ViperJoe]

right clicked on it and go to properties there should be the name of your camera.

Just says jpeg image adobe photoshop image....nothing abot a camera make.....

 

[big-n-italian]

i dont know how the laws are written, but i think if you post pics on the web, you should expect them to be downloaded and used by others. IMO, the posting of a pic no longer makes that pic private. however, if you can prove that it is your pic, and you see your pic being used in a way that you dissagree with, and you ask that the pic be removed, then they (Robbie in this case) should remove the pic without question or hesitation.

on that same note, if you have pics that you want kept private and DONT want downloaded and used by others, (naked pics of you and your spouse for instance), then you should not post them.

 

[GTS-R 001]

THE POSTING OF A PICTURE IN NO WAY NEGATES YOUR RIGHT TO COPYRIGHT PROTECTION. Unauthorized use of copywritten materials in the USA carries a statuatory damage of $150,000.00 USD

FYI

 

[Bandit3]

WOW-- use my picture and my cars too

 

[CarDude]

My biggest problem is that he is selling vinyl stripes with a picture of painted stripes...that is really the only part that makes me hot under the collar.

I have no problem with vinyl stripes, I really should put vinyl stripes on my Copperhead so I can see if I really want them. I just won't go and sell the services of a good painter with pictures of vinyl stripes...

 

[big-n-italian]

THE POSTING OF A PICTURE IN NO WAY NEGATES YOUR RIGHT TO COPYRIGHT PROTECTION. Unauthorized use of copywritten materials in the USA carries a statuatory damage of $150,000.00 USD

so how do you know what is copyrighted and what isnt? i download pics all the time off the net, and i am sure anyone with a computer has atleast one internet-downloaded pic on their computer too. do we all owe someone $150,000? i am not being a smart-asp, just curious.

 

[Lee00blacksilverGTS]

For what it's worth I believe you must have a copyright imprint on the photo when posted if you want to do something about it legally if someone else uses it. That still leaves a big grey area as to what is ethical when representing something and does not make it right just because it's not leagally actionable.

 

[GTS-R 001]

For what it's worth I believe you must have a copyright imprint on the photo when posted if you want to do something about it legally if someone else uses it. That still leaves a big grey area as to what is ethical when representing something and does not make it right just because it's not leagally actionable.

You used to have to declare copyright, now you just have to file a copyright registration before you sue someone in federal court ( you must actually own the copyright to do this ). If you do not owna photo and you do not have a sign off or waiver for its use, avoid using it if you can ( especially for commercial purposes ), oh, and changing it a little is not the way, copyright is now based on similarity vs how much you changed it.

 

[Alabaster Mamba]

Well if there is no Notice of Copyright the individual in question could always claim innocent infringement. As stated above, you do not have to declare copyright to in fact copyright the article, or piece of work. But to be able to properly defend the said piece without question you would need a Notice of Copyright.
For a good review of the basics you can search at the Library of Congress. A link is provided below which will give you pretty much everything you ever wanted to know but didn't want to ask.

http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ1.html#wci

 

[Kala]

I have a lot of photos on my web site of our puppies... Some have been lifted and used without permission, on other breeders web sites...

Since this is business, I exploring the use of Digimark, which I found in Photoshop CS2... I'm ok with people using photos as a screen saver or something like that... Just not representing that the puppy or photo is theirs or their breeding...

Does anyone here use Digimark?

Here's a link to their web site.

http://www.digimarc.com/sw/downloadsnew.asp?PLATFORM=MacMachOPlugIn

 

[98viperGTS]

On my site I have pictures taken from it all the time. Every once in awhile I see a video on youtube that has my pictures in it. I have pictures of my cars and Ashley. Pictures of our puppy and just about everything. When I put them on the net I realized that they would be seen and used by others. If I see some one using them in a way that I do not approve I can ask them to stop but really there is not much else I can do.

I had to ask Chad to stop downloading all the pictures at once he was hogging up all the bandwidth. LOL

www.jmengel.com

 

[Racer Robbie]

Kala

Thanks for that link, that is a really good idea.

Robbie

 

[Kala]

I do understand that if I post a photo on the web... Someone will likely download it. I have people all the time, who e mail us they use a photo for a wallpaper or screensaver... I have no issue with that. I'm glad they are enjoying the work. Here's my site Love Rotts

BUT... I just paid huge $$$$ to bring in a ***** from Germany, to produce the best puppies I possibly can. Titled International Champions, who then get bred to Titled International champions for the best temperament and conformation, the breed has to offer.

To then find someone who is using my puppy photos as an example of their backyard breeding program, is just wrong, on many levels. People who buy from them are not getting the quality they were expecting... Having a bad rottweiler
is like an accident waiting to happen... Not cool...

For me I have to find a solution. I'm willing to pay the $200 - $500 Digimark charges per year, if that will stop people from misrepresenting this breed, and my photos.

If someone knows a better or cheaper way to watermark photos, I would love to hear about it



Nice Prowler by the way... I miss my Candy, it was a great cruising car...

 

[viperjim]

I do understand that if I post a photo on the web... Someone will likely download it. I have people all the time, who e mail us they use a photo for a wallpaper or screensaver... I have no issue with that. I'm glad they are enjoying the work. Here's my site Love Rotts

BUT... I just paid huge $$$$ to bring in a ***** from Germany, to produce the best puppies I possibly can. Titled International Champions, who then get bred to Titled International champions for the best temperament and conformation, the breed has to offer.

To then find someone who is using my puppy photos as an example of their backyard breeding program, is just wrong, on many levels. People who buy from them are not getting the quality they were expecting... Having a bad rottweiler
is like an accident waiting to happen... Not cool...

For me I have to find a solution. I'm willing to pay the $200 - $500 Digimark charges per year, if that will stop people from misrepresenting this breed, and my photos.

If someone knows a better or cheaper way to watermark photos, I would love to hear about it


We use Microsoft Paint. Your pc might already have it in its programs. You can overlay text of logos. Its free and its easy. Hey- that sounds like a girl I used to know!
Jim

 

[Kala]

Hey- that sounds like a girl I used to know!
Jim

Did we talk about some Viper parts during a blizzard... ???



I use a Mac, so I don't think I can use Paint... that might help someone else here though...

 

[fluffy]

Hey- that sounds like a girl I used to know!
Jim

Did we talk about some Viper parts during a blizzard... ???



I use a Mac, so I don't think I can use Paint... that might help someone else here though...

Paint doesn't do digital watermarking.