Ahhh the joy of copyright infringment
Sunday, July 24, 2011 at 3:07PM I've just had my first dose of dealing with DMCA takedowns and dealing with mis-use of images I own the copyright too, and I can say, it is actually a very fascinating experience. When you remove yourself from getting emotional about the fact that somebody is using your hard work for their own gain, and look at it from a entirely analytical viewpoint, the concept of copyright infringement is really quite fascinating. In the past, when photos were taken on film, and the MASTER as it were resided in one place and one place only and any subsequent copies were obviously 'copies' things were simpler, also, it was almost impossible to have a copy every be as close in quality as an image printed from the master. However, now with all cameras pretty much Digital, and the MASTER image being able to live in literally countless locations, what really is the MASTER image, if two people have a copy of that file, how does one really argue who owns the image.
Putting the emotional cap back on, as a photographer, I have an investment in every photo I take, some more than others, there are photos I have taken, that honestly I couldn't give two hoots about if somebody wanted to use, then there are others, that I feel are so close to what I feel for me is perfection, the concept of somebody else using that image for their own gain makes me ill. And then there are photos, that I personally don't care for any more, for a variety of reasons, images that are archived on a hard drive in the cupboard in a locked Pelican case, and if I have my way, will never see the light of day every again, however, that is what I want, that they are never viewed again, by me or others. To see those images used just makes me angry. Luckily, and I can say this for the first time, with corporate America being so proactive in terms of removing digital media from websites when they are used illegally, the actual process of reporting an illegal use is surprisingly easy. Letting my temper settle, takes a little longer.
Rant off.