Are They Allowed To Copy My Photos?

[thaigerd]

Just reading the Phuket Gazette online and I saw 2 photos which have been copied from ThaiVisa, photos I've been posted in a thread

my photos.

I've shot all the photos by myself.

Here are the photos from the Phuket Gazette:

the Gazette's photos

May be hey offer me a job, freelancer is enough

Gerd

[eek]

I believe that if something is posted openly within a forum without any kind of copyright superimposed upon it then its considered royalty free. <edit: see links in my next post below. seems im wrong on this.

Maybe get intouch with them, let them know, and ask them them about it. In the mean time you could repost the photos with a photoshopped copyright cert on them. (but only for future plagiarism issues)

Edited July 1, 2007 by eek

[nidge]

It would be interesting to know where the Gazette obtained the photos. I imagine perhaps you assume they copied them from here but maybe a naughty peron decided to copy them and then send them to the newspaper as their own? Let us know what you find out.

[MiG16]

personally...without knowing the law on copyrights...Id still assume they cant do this. definitely get in touch with them and let them know these are photos you took. do let us know what they say

but perhaps others (admins?) could also give us your thoughts on how copyright issues apply to photos posted on the forum?

thanks

[junkofdavid2]

Just reading the Phuket Gazette online and I saw 2 photos which have been copied from ThaiVisa, photos I've been posted in a thread

my photos.

I've shot all the photos by myself.

Here are the photos from the Phuket Gazette:

the Gazette's photos

May be hey offer me a job, freelancer is enough

Gerd

Laws here are pretty vague, and even the clear ones are hard to enforce.

Hence, I ALWAYS watermark my photos using Adobe Photoshop.

It's very easy.

You can use Google to look for a tutorial on the web on how to do it.

It's not a guarantee (it's still possible for them to remove the watermark), but it forces them to make an extra effort... which most Thais are not willing to do.

[eek]

have a read of this: http://lorelle.wordpress.com/2006/04/10/wh...s-your-content/ and http://www.techsoup.org/learningcenter/internet/page5970.cfm it may help.

And, there may be a section in forum rules regarding copyright issues...?

Edited July 1, 2007 by eek

[RAZZELL]

I'd phone up the picture desk and ask what happened...And ask for payment for their use...

Then I'd send them an invoice...You never know you might get lucky

RAZZ

[chinthee]

Gerd,

Did they use them in the print version too? If so, you may have an even stronger claim for damages due to the wide circulation on the island. I'm guessing some junior person just got sloppy. They are a well run outfit though, and I'm not sure if they still have that Farang owner?

[thaigerd]

Gerd,

Did they use them in the print version too? If so, you may have an even stronger claim for damages due to the wide circulation on the island. I'm guessing some junior person just got sloppy. They are a well run outfit though, and I'm not sure if they still have that Farang owner?

They appeared today in the online edition, next print version will be next Friday/Saturday, looking forward...........

I've send them an email already and asked for an statement, deadline tomorrow.

Wait...

Gerd

[chuchok]

They are advertising TV on their web site, so they probably thought it was fair game.

[rafval]

I would assume they cant use your photos, in most countries the copyright remains with you or the person that commisioned the photos, of course Thailand may not have copyright laws, Im not sure, but anyway, unless you take them to court what can you do? perhaps send them an invoice as suggested

[thaigerd]

Problem solved!

have a look!

Thanks Phuket Gazette for your quick response!

Gerd

[Mid]

kudos

[chinthee]

Well done. You're now elected to go get a pic of that "farang" bank robber. I think you might find him in one of the burmese labour camps.

Edited July 2, 2007 by chinthee

[eek]

well done.

[ZZZ]

Just reading the Phuket Gazette online and I saw 2 photos which have been copied from ThaiVisa, photos I've been posted in a thread

my photos.

I've shot all the photos by myself.

Here are the photos from the Phuket Gazette:

the Gazette's photos

May be hey offer me a job, freelancer is enough

Gerd

Laws here are pretty vague, and even the clear ones are hard to enforce.

Hence, I ALWAYS watermark my photos using Adobe Photoshop.

It's very easy.

You can use Google to look for a tutorial on the web on how to do it.

It's not a guarantee (it's still possible for them to remove the watermark), but it forces them to make an extra effort... which most Thais are not willing to do.

Hope you are using a legal version of Adobe Photoshop to prevent others from illegally copy your photos.

[thaigerd]

Just reading the Phuket Gazette online and I saw 2 photos which have been copied from ThaiVisa, photos I've been posted in a thread

my photos.

I've shot all the photos by myself.

Here are the photos from the Phuket Gazette:

the Gazette's photos

May be hey offer me a job, freelancer is enough

Gerd

Laws here are pretty vague, and even the clear ones are hard to enforce.

Hence, I ALWAYS watermark my photos using Adobe Photoshop.

It's very easy.

You can use Google to look for a tutorial on the web on how to do it.

It's not a guarantee (it's still possible for them to remove the watermark), but it forces them to make an extra effort... which most Thais are not willing to do.

Hope you are using a legal version of Adobe Photoshop to prevent others from illegally copy your photos.

Yes, I do!!!

[stickman]

Just reading the Phuket Gazette online and I saw 2 photos which have been copied from ThaiVisa, photos I've been posted in a thread

my photos.

I've shot all the photos by myself.

Gerd

There are copyright laws in Thailand and there is a dedicated court, called something like Intellectual Property and International Trade Court.

A friend who runs a company locally has a web designer who copied one paragraph from another website. The copyright owner of that website found out about it and chased him for 20,000 baht. One paragraph only.

It is a very real issue!

[MiG16]

Gerd...

thats good they did that...but what explanation did they offer? apology? or have they bribed you by offering a freelance job

and yes Stickman is right..Thailand does have Copyright laws..and a dedicated Court under the Supreme Court to look at Intellectual Property and International Trade. how well they can function of course is a different story...set up with the intention to ensure thailand's complying with TRIPs amongst other things.....

dont ask what their stand would be in regard to the Compulsory Licensing issue though...anyhow thats a different discussion altogether...with a long long thread already running

[thaigerd]

What happened:

Some one I know (he's not even a friend) send my copied photos to the Gazette and said that we are good friends and they could use these photos.

After I emailed to the Gazette about this issue they replied very fast and offered me some possibilities to get things right again.

I have better things to do as taking any one to the court ect

Gazette has been very polite to me and we will meet for some beers next week, finished.

What happened to a former boss of mine some months ago in Germany:

He advertised a special food promotion in a local newspaper:xxxxx evening tonight in our hotel.

Two weeks later a lawyer from a Munich restaurant took him to the court, they had the copyright for the word xxxxx food. He ended up paying more than 20000.-Euro!!!

Gerd

[chuchok]

What happened:

Some one I know (he's not even a friend) send my copied photos to the Gazette and said that we are good friends and they could use these photos.

After I emailed to the Gazette about this issue they replied very fast and offered me some possibilities to get things right again.

I have better things to do as taking any one to the court ect

Gazette has been very polite to me and we will meet for some beers next week, finished.

Gerd

Good on you.A sensible conclusion.

[Kan Win]

Problem solved!

have a look!

Thanks Phuket Gazette for your quick response!

Gerd

SHOVING OFF: A team of helpers push Sultan back afloat yesterday. - Photo by Gerd

That is all that we all would like to have under our own photos as well.

Good on Phuket Gazette and to you for taking your time out to take these photos.

Well done Gerd

Kan Win

[khall64au]

Yes, with the severe shortage of Thai reporters on Phuket these days we need diligent farang "freelancers" like Gerd to get the news out there.... (loud applaud for Gerd!)

[astral]

Good to see that you received acknowledgement,

have you received the cheque yet.

[thaigerd]

Good to see that you received acknowledgement,

have you received the cheque yet.

No, not yet,

Waiting to "shoot" Beckham&Posh walking on Patong beach and I am the only one who's got the photos.

Guess quite a good pocket money from the "Sun" etc.

Gerd

[thaigerd]

Now one of my photos appears on the frontpage but with out any credits.......

Gerd

[Nignoy]

I had the same type of thing happen to me in germany in the early 80,s we were hunting in the Eiffel With European egle Owls(Uhu,s) and I was taking photo,s of the birds in flight, sent them away to get developed, a couple of years later copies of the photo,s were on sale as wild life posters in zoo,s and falconry shows all over germany and austria tried to sue Agfa but had no luck Nignoy

[Kees5]

Question remains, have they offered you payment?

[thaigerd]

Question remains, have they offered you payment?

No!

Don't even answer my mails to them

Gerd

[bkkmei]

Pay them a personal visit?