Copyright Protection Of Our Work

They are low resolution images, 466x700, for instance. They will work as a screen saver or on a web page/blog. I have had a few "borrowed" without my permission for both uses. The protection is that the resolution is too low to print with decent quality.

But, yes, people can and probably will use your images posted to social media for things other than printing. There are means to search the internet for your images. If you find them being used without your consent, you can file copyright infringement notices. If you choose to allow social media sharing buttons, you are opening the door for widespread disemmination of low resolution versions of your images.

Thanks....I think (in my spare time..which i have less than none), I will find a generic template and use it to send to anyone that I find using my property without my permission. That should at least educate some.

The protection is the restricted access to the high res image. Copying of a low res version is unavoidable on any site.

This is the risk of placing images on the medium of the internet.

So if i might ask..what would the downside be to putting a watermark on each image..if i could make one that doesnt take too much AWAY from the image but prevents anyone from using it? it seems most do not use a watermark..thanks again

A watermark can be removed if someone really wanted your image.
It can also put off many potential buyers that think the watermark will be on the final print that is sent to them

To reiterate what Roy said, watermarks DO put off some buyers. That's a fact unfortunately.

there is no protection anywhere on the net. once you see it. its in their pc. there is a right click and save as disable, but google has no problems getting it. its just a thing you have to deal with. the large images are protected by guard dogs their names are Ralphy and Spooner.

i don't post images to twitter, because i don't consider them helping that much. you can always post watermarked images to twitter, but i would never allow a watermark here. they don't help it sell, they confuse buyers and it won't stop someone from taking stuff.

---Mike Savad
MikeSavad.com

No watermark will prevent someone from using your image but it may push them toward lower hanging fruit. A pick pocket will always go for the unzipped hang bag.

Like Mike said if someone really wants your high res image they can normally get it somehow once it's online.
I wouldn't post high res photos anywhere where they're easy to download, just to stop the lazy people, but I wouldn't bother with watermarks, they're either too easy to crop or too off putting for buyers.
Most unattributed image use is just sharing on social networks by people who know better.
The reality of people using images without permission for profit is it does happen but I'm not sure it's as common as some people think. I'm not sure my work would be good enough to steal anyway, if they can make worthwhile money from it they're doing better than me!

If someone does use your photos, I'm not sure how you'd find out to be honest, I've found the odd one on twitter where they've used my name but not my handle or website so I left a reply, but you'd have to be fairly well known for someone to stumble across your art somewhere and recognise it as yours.

Google image search......

or tin eye search has become very good.

but its often not worth finding out, too much stress.

---Mike Savad
MikeSavad.com

To add to what has already been said....
you have said that you then share your image on twitter....you might opt out of the social media links that spread your images farther and wider.
FAA gives us the option to use them but cannot control what those social media outlets do with them.

Thank you all for bouncing that stuff off my question. Good confirmation of my ideas. I appreciate it!

Like Mike said if someone really wants your high res image they can normally get it somehow once it's on line.

@ Chris, why on earth would you or anyone make their own high resolution jpg images available for download on the internet? Just an observation on my behalf, I don't really see where Mike implied that.. The owner(s) of intellectual property are solely responsible for for what they upload to the web. If you make them available to download, someone will steal it.

Simple remedy for general web uploads: Create a watermarked jpg version, smaller than 900px at the big end and lower the screen resolution to 72 dpi, then save at a quality level of 5 or 6 and you will have uploaded an image that looks fine viewed on your tablet or PC monitor but completely useless to even print a quality 4x6 photograph :) Of course I'm relating to images not uploaded to your POD website. They are responsible for protecting you hi-resolution images.

@ Roberts question: I think you are inquiring about your images uploaded to FAA, and not a general question about uploading to social media sites?
I have read a blog by an artist that was not exactly thrilled with the resolution available for easy download on this website. He claimed he was able to download anyones work, and create fairly high quality printable 8x10 and 8x12" images. I have no clue how he does it, I cannot right click and save my own work. If however he is correct and this is something that has yet to be addressed, this makes us vulnerable and easy targets regardless of the watermark :(

they can only take the small ones. the large ones are guarded by the dogs.

i have seen people upload full size images to the net however. sometimes resizing them small, but they are still full size. never do that any where.


---Mike Savad
MikeSavad.com

I google my name at least once a month. Last year I found two websites selling my pictures with the fineart watermark on it. The websites originated in Chine. I contacted Google ( Legal Department) and they did shut those sites down.

The largest image that can be lifted off the site is 900 pixels. With a little upresing that could give you a somewhat decent 8x10 I guess. As to how to steal it. Well it is very easy. Every PC I ever saw has screen capture built right into the keyboard. Don't they teach how to use it in elementary school. Also most phones and tablets will allow you to capture any jpeg on the screen at the 900 pixel size. And then there are apps for that. Its no big mystery and there is no protection. The only thing is that if viewed on a PC there is no right click menu. That is not much of an obstacle. The FAA watermark could deter some theft. It could also deter some sales. Of course you can't add your own watermark to images uploaded for print. It may be worth while to make some small watermarked images for promotion. I just make small ones and save them at low quality like Mike suggested.

Thanks again all...the help is greatly appreciated..now let me ask a real stupid question. Are we not uploading our highest resolution image here on FAA?

sorry for duplicate - Thanks again all...the help is greatly appreciated..now let me ask a real stupid question. Are we not uploading our highest resolution image here on FAA?

Thomas, if your images are for sale as prints on demand then there must be a high res version of it online somewhere, that's what I was referring to.
People with decent knowledge of website coding can find a way to get around right click protection and things like that, it just makes it a bit more difficult for the opportunists.

I was in no way saying that I or anyone else should or does make high res pictures freely available for download. Even before I was trying to sell anything I saved various versions of my pictures for different use and everything I put on FB/twitter/photo forums/my blog are low res, low quality jpgs.

I still don't watermark anything, I stand by the fact that an unobtrusive watermark will just be cropped if they want to use it and an obtrusive one will put people off your work.

"Are we not uploading our highest resolution image here on FAA?"

Yes, but those are locked away until needed for printing. Only the low-rez images are displayed. If people can't see your art, they won't buy your art. Enough worrying. Upload high-quality images, market your art and start making sales.


Dan Turner
Dan Turner's Seven Keys to Selling Art Online

If anybody wants a hi-res version without watermark he can get it. I know how, but will not tell anywhere to anybody.

As Dan says, your high res image is not here

Thanks Dan. But so you know, there is very little I "worry" about. I think about everything and ask questions to uncover things I have not thought about. Your comment is a bit condescending (to me anyway). If it was unintended, I apologize for being a tad sensitive.

Thomas, if your images are for sale as prints on demand then there must be a high res version of it on-line somewhere, that's what I was referring to.

Speaking only on behalf of myself, there are no hi-res versions of any of MY images on-line, anywhere. I can only verify my own actions, not those of others. If I did post them up, my bad.

Chris, your post seems to conflict with itself for a moment. Sounds like your implying FAA is making our hi-res files easily available for anyone with rudimentary skills to bypass the obvious blocks and access the hi-res files? Am I understanding that correct.

I've been assured our hi-res images are not available.

Thanks Dan for that info, I didn't know it before.
http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/tina-albert.html

Download a 900 pixel image from the internet. Clone out any signature or watermark. Print a 3 inch hard copy. Scan the 3 inch hard copy at high resolution to make a high-pixel digital file. Use said file to create hard-copy prints in large sizes. Or use said file to create hard copy that is repainted by hand to give the appearance of an original. Ignore any warning from the artist whose image is used to do this. Keep ignoring this artist, because, in all probability, he/she cannot afford the legal cost of bringing a copyright lawsuit to fruition.

There is NOT any absolute protection of anything displayed on the internet, you see. Absolute protection means zero exposure, living in a cave, dying completely unknown to anybody whatsoever. Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

You better make this discussion private now.(^_^)

Abbie, so if only a low res image is used here on FAA, and I share that to Facebook or Twitter from FAA, then those are low res too? Seems like a stupid question but want to be clear....

http://havecamerawilltravel.com/photographer/images-photos-facebook-sizes-dimensions-types

Thanks for this Robert!

Of course after reading another thread on here where other's do not load their artwork as FB has rights to use your pictures, I took them off. Good article to have though Robert

Patricia...yes, very low res
Facebook do NOT have your rights. They have the right to publish your work as otherwise they couldn't show it
They also do not have the images you share from here. They are still here so never on FB.