# Real Photo Poachers!!!!



## GAranger1403 (Nov 13, 2008)

I got a call today from a photo lab, which will remain nameless at this time, asking if I had authorized an employee to make several copies of my pictures. Of course I had not, so I went to check them out. Upon arriving I found about 50 prints in 4x6, 5x7 and 8x10 of several of my shots from the last few weeks. I put my name and date on  alot of my shots, some still had my info on them while several others had it cropped off. Also found some photos from a couple other local photographers whos work I recognized. Now I know this is illegal at any level. I could maybe look the other way for 1 or 2 shots but 50!! This seems to be a pretty substantial operation. I am wondering how long this has been going on and how many hundreds of photos this person has stolen, not only mine but others as well. My question to you guys is this, should I do anything about this, and how much trouble could this person really be in if I pursue this. I know at the very least they'll get fired and I hate to do that around the holidays. But then again she is stealing from me. I have alot of time and money invested in my photographs, I'm a little confused about how I should handle this. 

How serious do you guys think this is, and what would you do.

Thanks for your input.


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## FERAL ONE (Nov 13, 2008)

man that stinks !!!  i know i would be shot in the foot because i don't copywrite my work but stealing is stealing. she has probably been framing them and selling them at a local art show or online. the fact that she cropped your info off is enough to know she has done this before and probably been in trouble for it. holidays or not i believe i would have would want her punished.


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## slimbo (Nov 13, 2008)

She is obviously doing this for money.  You wouldnt print 50 for your own personal use, which is illegal also.  My feelings are that deliberately breaking the law calls for action.  She cant use the excuse that she didnt know.  You should understand from your line of work that if she is gonna do the crime, she should be prepared to receive the punishment.

Besides I dont like sneaky people.  And cropping your watermark is sneaky!


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## Hoss (Nov 13, 2008)

I'd say Slimbo is right, printing 50 means someone is selling em and needs to suffer the consequences.

Hoss


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## #4s (Nov 13, 2008)

To bad you cant find out where she is sellin them.


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## leo (Nov 14, 2008)

Sorry to hear that ..... I would not let it drop, without further action to the individual and/or the photo lab .....



FERAL ONE said:


> man that stinks !!!  i know i would be shot in the foot because i don't copyright my work but stealing is stealing. i would have would want her punished.



FYI .... Here is some info on US copyright laws, just excerpts from some research I have done ....




> Berne Copyright Convention
> Under a convention of the Law called the Berne Copyright Convention, all creative works are copy written the moment they're in a tangible form.
> Tangible form means almost anything other than in your head. Simply dreaming of the world's greatest Web site isn't enough to protect your ideas by Copyright. But once it's in a material form, it's protected. This means that, regardless of whether or not you see a Copyright noticed affixed to a newspaper, Web page, piece of fine art—it's most likely Copyright material, if it's original.
> 
> ...


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## bigkga69 (Nov 14, 2008)

it would be cool if you found out where she was selling them, then went there with an original photo and said "that looks like a photo I took", "oh, you take pictures?", "yeah, wanna see one?", "sure", "here it is, looks identical to that one! and all the rest of them with MY name on them!  NOW GET ON THE GROUND AND PUT YOUR HANDS BEHIND YOUR HEAD!!!   sorry, I felt like typing out "my" scenerio, its raining here and I cant go outside.....


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## huntin_dobbs (Nov 17, 2008)

I worked in a photo lab not long ago and we all had to sign a form saying that any photos that had a copyright or were marked in any way or even looked professionally posed we had to ID them and have a written form of consent for us to even print them. Definately speak with the manager of the lab and the next time she comes in they will bust her or should anyway... The lab should have known better than to print! Dont drop it we all see how much work you put in to your photos and shes getting all the profits!


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## shaggybill (Nov 17, 2008)

Make sure she quits and let it go. If I were to guess, your pictures are nature photography, right? As much as I like nature photography, these kinds of pictures are a dime a dozen. I doubt she's selling them. I looked into making money off of my nature shots, and it's just not worth it. She probably just thinks they're pretty. At the worst, she's telling her friend that they are her photographs and hanging them in her living room.  

With that said, if it this were happening to me, I'd definitely find out at least WHY she's stealing them.


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## marknga (Nov 17, 2008)

I would report her to her supervisor and then pursue any legal actions that are available. It doesn't make any difference if she was selling them, giving them away or lining her kitchen drawers with them. She was wrong.


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## tuffdawg (Nov 17, 2008)

slimbo said:


> She is obviously doing this for money.  You wouldnt print 50 for your own personal use, which is illegal also.  My feelings are that deliberately breaking the law calls for action.  She cant use the excuse that she didnt know.  You should understand from your line of work that if she is gonna do the crime, she should be prepared to receive the punishment.
> 
> Besides I dont like sneaky people.  And cropping your watermark is sneaky!



Can someone clarify this one for me please? How is making copies of your own work, and selling it, Illegal?


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## slightly grayling (Nov 17, 2008)

I take no pity on a thief. I would press charges and recoup at least whatever she could have made on them.  She is probably downloading them to an online photo store too.....


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## Slingblade (Nov 17, 2008)

tuffdawg said:


> Can someone clarify this one for me please? How is making copies of your own work, and selling it, Illegal?



I believe what they meant was; that one wouldn't make 50 copies of someone else's work just to have for themselves


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## howie_r (Nov 17, 2008)

Contact your local DA's office or Police station and see if this is considered a criminal offense and what your options are.


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## tuffdawg (Nov 17, 2008)

Slingblade said:


> I believe what they meant was; that one wouldn't make 50 copies of someone else's work just to have for themselves



ahhh Ok. Thanks.


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## GAX (Nov 17, 2008)

tuffdawg said:


> ahhh Ok. Thanks.



Schooled


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