BUYER BEWARE

[dietabix]

buyer beware
I joined a Genealogy Site a while ago, I added 4 images and got free 1 year membership, I now wish to leave the site, as anyone can look at the site member or not, so why be a member, but am told that I can't end my membership and remove my images. Also told in her own words " The images are now LEGALLY mine as " you " gave them ( of your own free will ) TO ME "
Plus a load of abuse to go with it. I thought they would belong to the site and not a person, and I could remove them whenever I wish, not just on this site but any, am I wrong ? As you can imagine I am not a happy bunny, what I need now is a |grouphug| Any views on this would be very welcome.
Sue

[Peter Goodey]

If you're that unhappy you should name and shame

[Ladkyis]

If the site owner has abused you, and you have a copy of the message you should seriously consider giving it to the police. Internet abuse is becoming very prevalent and the police are taking it seriously.

You should not be afraid to tell us where the site is and what they said.
If they are within their rights then they have nothing to fear, if they are not then it is their own fault

[Procat]

Are there terms and conditions on the site that state that you agree to pass ownership etc etc?

[pipsqueak]

What site is it, please?

[Creighton]

Where is this site? So that we may all steer clear of it!

[ash33au]

Copyright laws in Australia state that publications (incl. websites) have the right to one usage of your images if you willingly supplied them for publication. The law clearly states that all images are the legal property of the photographer at all times.

Here is a snippet of something sent to me by one of my editors:
Photos remain the copyright of the photographer unless otherwise agreed.

I don't know how the laws stack up elsewhere in the world but I assume they would be similar in the USA and UK

[pipsqueak]

I can understand the reluctance to publicly state it, but it would be helpful to know the name because even the US there are copyright laws. If we are to "beware" as suggested by the title of this thread, we should know of what.

[dietabix]

Hi all
Sorry to hide away, but it has bothered me quite a bit, so here goes the site gumshoegenealogy.com .Thanks for all your support so far. Sue

[Creighton]

I just had a look. A pretty spartan site, a few photos but nothing to get excited about. The forum says you have to be registered but I posted there a test message no problem - lol. I think someone just set it up as a moneymaker.

There are 451 photos there and the site has been going since 2006. The site states that hundreds are added weekly (I don't think so). In fact the same list is shown for each category of items. i.e. photos, yearbook, documents, military etc. Basically there is not a lot there, just 451 'items'.

Give it a wide berth!

[pipsqueak]

Thank you for sharing the web address. I'm sorry your photos have been stolen from you like this, but as far as I can tell your identity is safe and that's most important.

The webmaster can only claim copyright to the webpages and their design as far as I can tell. There is no disclaimer, no terms of use, no stated copyright to individual pictures. However, as I see it, once you have uploaded your images, you have submitted them to the world and to the site owner to do with as they see fit. Fortunately there are only four of them, but as you know, digital images can be reproduced willy-nilly thousands of times. I suggest that since complaining has not helped, you put it down to experience and be glad it was only four pictures.

I'm sorry you have been stung.

[Peter_uk_can]

I too had a look at the site, nothing to write home about.

I know it's easy for us to say "don't worry about it" but try and do just that.

I presume that they cannot take any more money from you and you still have the original photographs.

I would put it down to one of life's not so good experiences and move on.

Thanks for the warning.

Peter

[Guy Etchells]

buyer beware
I joined a Genealogy Site a while ago, I added 4 images and got free 1 year membership, I now wish to leave the site, as anyone can look at the site member or not, so why be a member, but am told that I can't end my membership and remove my images. Also told in her own words " The images are now LEGALLY mine as " you " gave them ( of your own free will ) TO ME "
Plus a load of abuse to go with it. I thought they would belong to the site and not a person, and I could remove them whenever I wish, not just on this site but any, am I wrong ? As you can imagine I am not a happy bunny, what I need now is a |grouphug| Any views on this would be very welcome.
Sue

It is fairly obvious from the terms of the site that a person may gain one years membership to the site by submitting four photos.

If I understand your posting you accepted a years membership of the site in return for the four images you supplied.
If this is correct then you cannot remove the photos from the site, they were given as payment for a service.

This does not mean the site owner has copyright ownership of the photos but she does have a right to display the images on the site.
You still retain copyright of the photos and can use them elsewhere if you wish.
Cheers
Guy

[dietabix]

Hi again all
I am glad to say it cost me nothing as I got free membership by putting on the site 4 photos, for that I am thankful.
I would just like you all to read the last lines of the emu.

" I think you really are in some way a very un-happy, rigid-minded person who please should go see a doctor and get some medicine ( such as an anti-depressant ) to lift you out of your un-realistic, control-minded, bickering state of mind. All of these types of behaviours come from a simple " chemical imbalance " of too low SEROTONIN- which an SSRI ( the newest ) anti-depressants correct-as they raise the Serotonin levels to normal. I wish you some emotionally easier days, which medicine could provide for you. Please think about it."

As you can see now why I was to say a little upset about all this, I have not replied as yet to this, perhaps it is best left alone.
Thanks once again for all your support.
Sue

[Peter_uk_can]

Sue.. don't bother to reply. It really upsets folk if you don't rise to their bait.

The site is a load of **** anyway.

I am off to take some more of my little pink pills ;);)

[pipsqueak]

I suspect that has upset you more than the issue over the photographs. As has been said, try to block it out of your mind. Bad online experiences can hurt as much as face-to-face ones, but try not to let that person get to you.

[Pam Downes]

Hi Sue,
I don't know how familiar you are with the musical 'Les Miserables', but there's a wonderful song in it called 'Master of the house'. He thinks he's rather special, but his wife has other ideas and says 'Master of the house? Isn't worth my spit'. And frankly, that's my opinion of the website you quoted. :)
As everyone else has said, just put it down to experience, and be very careful what you load on to other sites in the future. Most of all, ignore the email. Sounds as if the sender could do with a lie-down in a dark room. :D

And if you want cheering up, YouTube, type in Les Miserables and you should be able to then select 'master of the house'. Third one is the best. :)
Pam

[ash33au]

Something you could do when posting pics on the web is place a watermark on them or reduce the quality significantly, so that they are of no use to anyone else. That way if someone genuinely wants them for personal use, they can request a copy of the original. Sorry if that sounds picky... maybe its the journalist in me

[raineshoe]

I am a face painter by trade and there are lots of problems with photos being copied and used by fellow artists so have covered copyright issues quite a lot in the past. However, I can tell you that the person who took the photo is the one who owns the copyright. It doesn't matter what anyone else says. Its who took it. There are some slight anomalies to this but ultimately 9/10 it is the person who took it.

I have had countless photos moved from sites on the net whereby people have nicked them from my site and used them for their own ends. If she will not remove them or you cannot remove them contact the company who hosts that site and inform them that they are your images and being used without your consent. US companies usually jump to very quickly with this sort of thing.

This link will help you understand copyright:

http://www.ipo.gov.uk/types/copy/c-ownership.htm

Lastly my pics are all watermarked and that has not prevented anyone pinching them and removing the watermark if they have the right technology!!

[Lesley Robertson]

Copyright laws in Australia state that publications (incl. websites) have the right to one usage of your images if you willingly supplied them for publication. The law clearly states that all images are the legal property of the photographer at all times.

Here is a snippet of something sent to me by one of my editors:
Photos remain the copyright of the photographer unless otherwise agreed.

I don't know how the laws stack up elsewhere in the world but I assume they would be similar in the USA and UK


That's pretty much the same in Europe.
Lesley

[dietabix]

Let's hope this is a lesson to all
Thank you to everyone again
Sue