Author Topic: Stolen images. (Read 25482 times)

Ides · « **Reply #25 on:** January 04, 2019, 14:09 »

Quote from: HappyBunny on January 03, 2019, 08:20

Isn't there anything we can do about it? Who knows who took from whom?

Just send an email to Shutterstock exactly as it's being done here. link of the thief and the creator. I already did this with some of my pictures that were stolen. In few days Shutterstock will notify the thief and if he continues, they will delete his account.

And this don't need be only with stolen images. Very similar images, ideas, design, etc are also valid. I banish a guy with a portifolio bigger than mine, but because he copied the ideas from my most selling pictures. He was eliminated from Shutterstock.

Uncle Pete · « **Reply #26 on:** January 04, 2019, 15:40 »

Quote from: Ides on January 04, 2019, 14:09

Quote from: HappyBunny on January 03, 2019, 08:20
Isn't there anything we can do about it? Who knows who took from whom?

Just send an email to Shutterstock exactly as it's being done here. link of the thief and the creator. I already did this with some of my pictures that were stolen. In few days Shutterstock will notify the thief and if he continues, they will delete his account.

And this don't need be only with stolen images. Very similar images, ideas, design, etc are also valid. I banish a guy with a portifolio bigger than mine, but because he copied the ideas from my most selling pictures. He was eliminated from Shutterstock.

Who did you write to? I wrote to compliance and got a very stock answer, like they didn't even read my question which was "doesn't anyone care about stolen works?"

Hello,

Thank you for your email. Our requirements for submitting Digital Millennium Copyright Act ("DMCA") notices of infringement are below. You may send a proper notice in reply to this email.

If you misrepresent that material is infringing, Shutterstock may terminate your Shutterstock account, or you may face other legal consequences.

Infringement Notice Requirements:

1) A physical or electronic signature of a person authorized to act on behalf of the owner of an exclusive right that is allegedly infringed.

2) Identification of the copyrighted work claimed to have been infringed, or, if multiple copyrighted works at a single online site are covered by a single notification, a representative list of such works at that site.

3) Identification of the material that is claimed to be infringing or to be the subject of infringing activity and that is to be removed or access to which is to be disabled, and information reasonably sufficient to permit the Shutterstock to locate the material.

4) Information reasonably sufficient to permit the Shutterstock to contact the complaining party, such as an address, telephone number, and, if available, an electronic mail address at which the complaining party may be contacted.

5) A statement that the complaining party has a good faith belief that use of the material in the manner complained of is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law.

6) A statement that the information in the notification is accurate, and under penalty of perjury, that the complaining party is authorized to act on behalf of the owner of an exclusive right that is allegedly infringed.

Only the copyright owner or their authorized representative may file a report of copyright infringement. If you believe content on Shutterstock infringes someone else’s copyright, you may want to let the rights owner know.

Please note that we may provide the rights owner’s name, your email and the details of your report to the person who receives the complaint.

For more information, please review Shutterstock's DMCA Copyright Infringement Notice at: www.shutterstock.com/terms/dmca-notice.

Regards,

Shutterstock Compliance Team

I give up writing and begging. Maybe that's what they wanted.

Brasilnut · « **Reply #27 on:** January 04, 2019, 17:00 »

One mole has been wacked!

Uncle Pete · « **Reply #28 on:** January 05, 2019, 10:12 »

Quote from: Brasilnut on January 04, 2019, 17:00

One mole has been wacked!

I wish they had a contact page that actually acknowledged that we can report image theft, instead of them throwing some boilerplate, DMCA defense at us. Nice work if it was a number of people or one. There's one less image thief on SS. Who knows where these turds go on how many other agencies. It's like playing whack a mole.

Fairplay · « **Reply #29 on:** January 05, 2019, 10:37 »

SS knows when I upload similar content but don't know when somebody uploads exactly the same image stolen from another contributor. That's strange!
When they catch a thief why they don't distribute the remaining royalties in his account to the actual creators of the images?! I know it's easier to keep the money for themselves but is it legal?!
Another question comes to my mind. What about the customers who bought the images from the thieves, do they have a legal license to use the images when the creators doesn't get paid?!

davidbautista · « **Reply #30 on:** January 05, 2019, 11:37 »

Quote from: Fairplay on January 05, 2019, 10:37

SS knows when I upload similar content but don't know when somebody uploads exactly the same image stolen from another contributor. That's strange!
When they catch a thief why they don't distribute the remaining royalties in his account to the actual creators of the images?! I know it's easier to keep the money for themselves but is it legal?!
Another question comes to my mind. What about the customers who bought the images from the thieves, do they have a legal license to use the images when the creators doesn't get paid?!

Indeed!

OM · « **Reply #31 on:** January 06, 2019, 11:31 »

Quote from: Uncle Pete on January 04, 2019, 15:40

Quote from: Ides on January 04, 2019, 14:09
Quote from: HappyBunny on January 03, 2019, 08:20
Isn't there anything we can do about it? Who knows who took from whom?

Just send an email to Shutterstock exactly as it's being done here. link of the thief and the creator. I already did this with some of my pictures that were stolen. In few days Shutterstock will notify the thief and if he continues, they will delete his account.

And this don't need be only with stolen images. Very similar images, ideas, design, etc are also valid. I banish a guy with a portifolio bigger than mine, but because he copied the ideas from my most selling pictures. He was eliminated from Shutterstock.

Who did you write to? I wrote to compliance and got a very stock answer, like they didn't even read my question which was "doesn't anyone care about stolen works?"

Hello,

Thank you for your email. Our requirements for submitting Digital Millennium Copyright Act ("DMCA") notices of infringement are below. You may send a proper notice in reply to this email.

If you misrepresent that material is infringing, Shutterstock may terminate your Shutterstock account, or you may face other legal consequences.

Infringement Notice Requirements:

1) A physical or electronic signature of a person authorized to act on behalf of the owner of an exclusive right that is allegedly infringed.

2) Identification of the copyrighted work claimed to have been infringed, or, if multiple copyrighted works at a single online site are covered by a single notification, a representative list of such works at that site.

3) Identification of the material that is claimed to be infringing or to be the subject of infringing activity and that is to be removed or access to which is to be disabled, and information reasonably sufficient to permit the Shutterstock to locate the material.

4) Information reasonably sufficient to permit the Shutterstock to contact the complaining party, such as an address, telephone number, and, if available, an electronic mail address at which the complaining party may be contacted.

5) A statement that the complaining party has a good faith belief that use of the material in the manner complained of is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law.

6) A statement that the information in the notification is accurate, and under penalty of perjury, that the complaining party is authorized to act on behalf of the owner of an exclusive right that is allegedly infringed.

Only the copyright owner or their authorized representative may file a report of copyright infringement. If you believe content on Shutterstock infringes someone else’s copyright, you may want to let the rights owner know.

Please note that we may provide the rights owner’s name, your email and the details of your report to the person who receives the complaint.

For more information, please review Shutterstock's DMCA Copyright Infringement Notice at: www.shutterstock.com/terms/dmca-notice.

Regards,

Shutterstock Compliance Team

I give up writing and begging. Maybe that's what they wanted.

I found this guy (India) who not only copies but modifies parts or all of original files. One of his files (modified) I recognised as being copied from anothe SS contributor I know (we've had conversations by email in the past). I asked the the original contributor to report the thief and the email that came back from 'compliance' was the same as you posted above. I outlined the portions of their mail which persuaded the genuine contributor NOT to file. They give the guy your email address and if he disputes your claim, SS make take down your account until the claim is proven (or otherwise). Everyone on SS who has a reasonable monthly income from licensing there knows only too * well what (even temporary) suspension of their account means. You never retrieve the positions you had in search and sales will seriously plummet even after only a week of suspension before re-instatement.

The same guy stole part of another contributor's photo who was not at SS but at Adobe so I contacted Adobe to ask whether they would contact their contributor to inform them. First they sent me the same advice as SS.....send a DMCA form but then I told them that I wasn't the one being infringed but another of their contributors. They (Adobe) said they'd inform their contributor but whether they did and whether she decided not to proceed, I have no idea because this guy's SS thievery account is still up and being added to regularly. Have a peek to see if you recognise any elements of your images in his?

https://www.shutterstock.com/g/Krishbraden

Stolen and modied (try painting kids' hands in an identical manner...can't be done):

https://image.shutterstock.com/image-photo/kids-hands-painted-smile-symbol-450w-1218008479.jpg

Original:

https://as1.ftcdn.net/jpg/00/34/65/06/500_F_34650614_F3sIKjXY6ao0aQSKJNOPYqMDnQ5PFlaK.jpg

Stolen and modified:
https://image.shutterstock.com/image-photo/rear-view-young-female-legs-450w-1165318264.jpg

Original (position of shoes and specks of dirt and sand are the giveaway in the copy):

https://image.shutterstock.com/image-photo/runner-feet-running-on-road-450w-103383050.jpg

Gotta give the thief his due, he's not just a copyist and actually does possess some Photoshop skills but he is a thief and SS appears to be not only unwilling to put an end to this, they actually threaten the original contributor with a fate worse than death unless you're prepared to fight your case to the bitter end (and yet your victory may still be Pyrrhic if they close down your account for a week or two during investigation). BTW, in the meantime, the abovementioned thief has exceeded his 3-month waiting period from 'dubious' countries and is now presumably enjoying the fruits of his theft (as does SS whether they shut him down or not...and even if they shut him down, they confiscate the 'earnings' but don't re-distribute to the offended parties who have lost those sales.) Let's face it it'a real win-win klepto-corporate deal for all (except the actual copyright holder).

Uncle Pete · « **Reply #32 on:** January 06, 2019, 12:15 »

Right, in effect SS is threatening people with having their account locked for reporting, also it looks like they would allow the thief to keep selling, while under investigation. I can understand they want to be careful, because someone could abuse the system, but how hard is it to see the original image was uploaded years before the copies?

Oh OK the copies could be real and the older upload was stolen someplace else. And lets have a fair judgement. But still, when one person shoots food and has a dozen shots, different arrangements of the same steak, and the thieves have just joined, one steak from the other guys collection, scenic from around the world, a great diverse portfolio of one of a kind images... it's pretty obvious who made the work! It wasn't the new person with the stunning collection.

I just find the whole situation insulting when the crooks not only get in, get accepted, get to steal and anyone who has been robbed will not get any credit or money for those downloads, but then the agency drags their feet, makes reporting overly difficult and intimidates people who report problems, by scaring them from reporting? There needs to be a better system.

How do we find the person, to ask them to report the abuse? Most of the time it's some name that's impossible to track.

OM · « **Reply #33 on:** January 06, 2019, 13:30 »

That's why I thought I might have found the answer with a contributor to Abobe (but not to SS). At least when you're not on SS, they can't suspend your port!
Still no way of contacting the contributor directly though and just have to hope that Adobe passed on my message.

Ides · « **Reply #34 on:** January 07, 2019, 07:19 »

Quote from: Uncle Pete on January 06, 2019, 12:15

Who did you write to? I wrote to compliance and got a very stock answer, like they didn't even read my question which was "doesn't anyone care about stolen works?"

I made the complaint in this email: '[email protected]'

And I received an email like this:

Infringement Claims / [email protected]

"Hello,

Thank you for writing in.

We take copyright infringement and theft very seriously. Please know that we are taking the necessary steps to investigate your claim to resolve this issue as quickly and efficiently as possible. Our Legal team and Content Management are currently reviewing the images, and will take further action if deemed appropriate.

Best Regards,

Shutterstock Compliance

Regards,

Shutterstock Compliance"

Few days later the images of the ideas thief were deleted.
A few weeks later the guy made new copies. I made new complaints about new copies and the guy's account was deleted.
The guy found my private email and sent me an email begging me to talk to Shutterstock to reactivate his account.

Note:
This was years ago, I do not know how it is now.

Brasilnut · « **Reply #35 on:** January 07, 2019, 12:06 »

I've just published a detailed summary of matter, from info on different threads, and included an up-to-date list of currently active thieving contributors. If anybody has any that they wish to add, I'd put them up (only the clear cut cases please):

https://brutallyhonestmicrostock.com/2019/01/07/why-shutterstocks-copyright-infringement-problems-should-concern-you/

Uncle Pete · « **Reply #36 on:** January 07, 2019, 14:02 »

Quote from: Ides on January 07, 2019, 07:19

Quote from: Uncle Pete on January 06, 2019, 12:15

Who did you write to? I wrote to compliance and got a very stock answer, like they didn't even read my question which was "doesn't anyone care about stolen works?"

I made the complaint in this email: '[email protected]'

And I received an email like this:

Infringement Claims / [email protected]

"Hello,

Thank you for writing in.

We take copyright infringement and theft very seriously. Please know that we are taking the necessary steps to investigate your claim to resolve this issue as quickly and efficiently as possible. Our Legal team and Content Management are currently reviewing the images, and will take further action if deemed appropriate.

Best Regards,

Shutterstock Compliance

Regards,

Shutterstock Compliance"

Few days later the images of the ideas thief were deleted.
A few weeks later the guy made new copies. I made new complaints about new copies and the guy's account was deleted.
The guy found my private email and sent me an email begging me to talk to Shutterstock to reactivate his account.

Note:
This was years ago, I do not know how it is now.

Nice I'll add that to my list because contributor and compliance just sent me the DMCA boilerplate rubbish and didn't answer anything in the question. "oops another one, send him the quote..."

LostinTime · « **Reply #37 on:** January 15, 2019, 12:55 »

Hello lovely people..

Sadly i have just found another thief :/ he has a big portfolio, please check to make sure he hasn't stolen any of your images and/or images of people you might know.

newbielink:https://www.shutterstock.com/g/Henderbeth [nonactive]

Not Today · « **Reply #38 on:** January 15, 2019, 13:16 »

Quote from: LostinTime on January 15, 2019, 12:55

Hello lovely people..

Sadly i have just found another thief :/ he has a big portfolio, please check to make sure he hasn't stolen any of your images and/or images of people you might know.

https://www.shutterstock.com/g/Henderbeth

Hey there, do you have any example of what this person stole? (links to the same image somewhere else for instance)

LostinTime · « **Reply #39 on:** January 15, 2019, 16:48 »

Example 1:
ORIGINAL image - newbielink:https://www.shutterstock.com/image-illustration/night-sky-stars-nebula-112793377 [nonactive]

"HIS" image - newbielink:https://www.shutterstock.com/image-illustration/red-nebulous-galaxy-stars-universe-617990702 [nonactive]
(he just flipped it and made it red)

obj owl · « **Reply #40 on:** January 15, 2019, 17:38 »

Quote from: LostinTime on January 15, 2019, 16:48

Example 1:
ORIGINAL image - https://www.shutterstock.com/image-illustration/night-sky-stars-nebula-112793377

"HIS" image - https://www.shutterstock.com/image-illustration/red-nebulous-galaxy-stars-universe-617990702
(he just flipped it and made it red)

Night sky photos are not a good example to prove theft, most of them are from NASA.

Uncle Pete · « **Reply #41 on:** January 16, 2019, 08:50 »

I took a look, eye full. Does SS take marginal porn? I mean a few of these are not "Glamour" or just sexy or suggestive poses.

dpimborough · « **Reply #42 on:** January 17, 2019, 10:45 »

Quote from: Uncle Pete on January 16, 2019, 08:50

I took a look, eye full. Does SS take marginal porn? I mean a few of these are not "Glamour" or just sexy or suggestive poses.

Uncle Pete ~ Shutterstock take under exposed, out of focus krap images and stolen images so they'll no doubt take porn too

davidbautista · « **Reply #43 on:** January 17, 2019, 10:48 »

Wow that portfolio

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Author Topic: Stolen images. (Read 25482 times)

Ides

Uncle Pete

Brasilnut

Uncle Pete

Fairplay

davidbautista

OM

Uncle Pete

OM

Ides

Brasilnut

Uncle Pete

LostinTime

Not Today

LostinTime

obj owl

Uncle Pete

dpimborough

davidbautista

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