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STOP & Go
May 15, 2006
Halten Zie! ~ Canon 30d ©2006~image available for licensing
Head's up ~ I've initiated a change to my copyright policy. This site is getting a substantial amount of hits via google image searches, so it's time to exert some protection and control over my work here. Since redesigning the site, I've been posting larger images, and I know from experience, this makes me an easy target for unauthorized downloads. Nope, I have little control over this phenomenon, aside from watermarking images and making my copyright notice impossible to overlook. If you don't understand this move or think artists who exert their rights online are being hard to get along with, try thinking of it this way ~ you'd never ask your accountant to provide your tax returns for free. Art has value, and stealing images online is virtual pickpocketing. I'm thrilled my site is being hit as much as it is, but I must make something clear ~ this is not The Sisters of Calcutta Stock Photography Web Site.
So the change in usage policy has been updated in the FAQs section of the site. What does this mean? Most likely, very little to the average viewer, I simply need to make everyone conscious of the fact that printing out my images, using them on your web site, etc., will require contacting me and asking permission. Really, it's no big deal ~ and, to protect my archive, which is what gets the most random hits, my images will be watermarked.
The Purchase Photo section will be ready soon. I will be selling archival prints of my work in one, or maybe two sizes. The pricing will be reasonable. This time around, I won't be matting my images ~ it was incredibly cumbersome to mail them and the packaging required was too expensive and wasteful to the environment, IMHO.
Anyway, I think the photo above exemplifies what I'm trying to say ~ I'm putting a stop to unauthorized download of my work, but do please follow the green arrow up in the corner where you can buy them soon for a fair price, and in doing so, you'll help keep this site going.
Posted by susan at May 15, 2006 11:09 AM
Comments
Here! Here! I give lectures, often, to anyone who will listen about piracy. We work hard and long to produce music CD's and don't appreciate one little bit people who burn CD's to give away.
This is the way we make our living, people.
Posted by: aola at May 15, 2006 11:42 AM
I'd MUCH rather see your images on a large scale with the watermark than teeny-tiny with no watermark. I totally understand the precaution- thanks for taking the time to put the watermarks on all of them so we can still see the larger version!
Posted by: windy at May 15, 2006 2:15 PM
Very well said! And needed to be said! I should take your lead! The other day a person created nearly her entire blog with my photos! It is amazing how some people think nothing of downloading others images and not even blink an eye le along give reference, nor thanks!
Thank you for telling it like it is!! Say it often!
Posted by: tongue in cheek at May 15, 2006 3:33 PM
Any google images I use, I first go to the site where they are located to see if they are copyrighted or have a reference of the photographer. Most times, they are from public catalogs or brochures and such. I can't even imagine blatantly using someone's images without permission, especially from a site like your, Susan. The watermarks are a wonderful idea.
Posted by: samtzmom at May 15, 2006 4:08 PM
I hate it when people steal stuff ~ photos, writing, whatever. It's not cool, and it makes me really mad.
Posted by: Lynn at May 16, 2006 1:01 AM
this move is very understandable - your photos are amazing.
Posted by: candy at May 16, 2006 10:43 AM
GREAT idea, Susan. I was just speaking with a friend the other day who commented that her kid's friends think nothing of cheating or stealing. An article in today's paper stated 40% of college students think it is ok to download music illegially. BAD, bad, bad, bad. I do believe things are getting worse and not better. Of course the kids I was teaching five years ago are now in college. The kids really think it is their RIGHT to do those things. Where ar ethe parents?????
Posted by: janet at May 16, 2006 4:21 PM
whenever i post a photo or artwork, i (98% of the time) include copyright info, a link back to the artist, whatever. the 2% that i may fail is because i have reposted the same picture from my computer stash and that info is lost, but already posted in the original airing of the pic.
(did that make an iota of sense?)
i learned, when i first started blogging almost two years ago, the hard way about *stealing* bandwidth - miraculously, a message appeared on my blog announcing that i was a pirate and a thief and i was mortified beyond words. i will never do that again.
(perhaps you could add some clever wording that will miraculously appear when folks do that to you? it worked wonders for me!)
Posted by: ~m2~ at May 17, 2006 5:03 AM
by the way - when i first began blogging, i did not know that was not a cool thing to do.
just to clarify my pirate-y goodness :)
Posted by: ~m2~ at May 17, 2006 5:04 AM
