Many people think that content posted on the Internet is free, but not quite. Just because images or other content appear on Google doesn’t mean it can be used by anyone.
For the photographer, this can be a big problem. Imagine your images being published on websites without permission or maybe used in a marketing campaign?
- Several professionals have already faced this problem.
- If you make a living selling your photos.
- It can result in losses for you.
- So how do you deal with copyright infringement on the Internet?.
Learn how to protect yourself and fix these issues in this article. Discover step by step to avoid losses and guarantee your rights below.
The easiest and fastest way to solve the problem is to organize a friendly conversation. Go to the website where your images were posted without permission and contact us.
Most websites have a contact form and you can use it for that, but others make contact information visible, such as email, phone, etc.
Send a message to the person in charge that the image belongs to you and request removal immediately. Be courteous in this conversation and do not immediately blame the site owner. Sometimes people don’t know copyright laws and have done nothing wrong.
In the same message, stay open to associations. If the site wants to keep your photos, let them know that they can reach a friendly financial settlement.
In most cases, this step is enough to solve the problem, after all, most companies tend to avoid headaches in this regard.
And when the contact information is not available?
Sometimes there is no direct form of contact on the website, nor the data presented. In this case, you’ll need to perform a quick search to find the website owner.
All addresses registered on the Internet are linked to individuals or companies, there are specific agencies to keep this information supported and even public on the Internet, here in Brazil, the person in charge of this work is Registro. br.
Go to this page and enter the URL of the website where the copyright infringement occurs. Registro. br returns with the domain controller’s contact information, provided that you do not use any form to hide that data.
For sites with international extensions (. com, . net, . info, etc. ), this verification can be done on this site. The process is relatively the same as that of national consultation areas.
Even after contacting me, is the copyright infringement still ongoing? Then you can turn to DCMA. It is a tool offered by search engines to eliminate content that impose rights in one way or another, including paternity.
Google, for example, offers this policy to help you remove content from your results. As this is the world’s largest search site, removing content from your pages can be a big step forward in regaining your copyright.
The website provides more details about this policy, as well as instructions in this article. There are different ways to do this, most related to the source of the content, so read the tutorial to find out how to proceed if applicable.
But what is the advantage of requesting to be removed from Google?
Most websites need visits to support the same. A large percentage of these visits come from search engines, such as Google, for example. Look at your example, how often do you go to Google to search for information and content?Probably a lot of them!
By requesting the removal of an image or photo for copyright infringement, the site in question may be sanctioned by the search engine, in this way, they will no longer receive visitors from Google and may be banned from your pages. It’s almost like disappearing from the map.
However, please note that Google will consider its own policies to delete your photos, however, they generally comply with applicable laws in the country where the content was posted, which can be a shortcut to preserving your rights without legal process.
When none of the above has worked, all that remains is to choose the legal means to solve the problem. Start by reading this article to understand how copyright law works.
Then consult an attorney to inform you during the process, who can guide you on how best to combat copyright infringement.
However, keep in mind that this can take a long time. Unfortunately, legal bodies in Brazil are bogged down in lawsuits. It can take a long time to resolve your case.
Another problem is that you will have to prove who is the author of the photo, the photo files are enough to prove that you have captured it. However, judicial authorities may impose other requirements to prove a crime.
It should also be remembered that, under copyright law, certain uses are not considered copyright infringement. The violation is recorded as long as there is a commercial purpose for the website or place where the photographs were posted. For other purposes, the law provides for various resolutions, which must be carefully followed.
In all cases, be sure to apply for your rights in court. In addition to the removal of photography, the other party may be responsible for the moral, financial and legal costs arising from the trial.
No matter how you choose to fight or prevent copyright infringement, don’t let it go unpunished. As creative professionals, we must monitor these practices and do everything we can to disable them. Then report it!
Use the above tips to preserve your rights and ensure the safety of your work. Do you know any other way to deal with copyright infringement in photography?Leave your comment and share your experience. Help your professional colleagues get through this and solve the problem faster.