How can they prove you stole an image?

avatar33

avatar33

e-Hustler
Dec 5, 2009
3,838
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Calgary, AB
So this whole SOPA thing is really making me paranoid now... I mean, like most of you, I've re-used some images I found on the web on my own websites. I always try to look for royalty-free images, but sometimes I can't find shit so I have to wear my darker hat and expand my search. :batman:

When I pick an image I always try to change something though, color, size, add details, shapes, text etc... now my question is: how can they prove that an image was stolen in this case? What are the footprints? Especially when it's a simple image like a fucking blue arrow (no gradient or shading). Anyone with decent Photoshop skills can re-create it. How can the author prove that I stole the damn arrow?

BlueArrow.gif
 


Nobody is going to hunt you down for taking blue arrows, but I could see stock photos being an issue. I honestly think the only way you would ever have an issue is if the actual creator of the image found it on your site. And even then I don't know what they could do to you besides ask that you take it down.
 
if you are changing the image in some way, you are changing the checksum, so I'm not sure how they could prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that the image is not your original work. However, I'd venture that the more complicated and distinct the image becomes the easier it is to prove, at least from a legal perspective.
 
wow, grow some balls? nobody is coming after u for those images. at most they'll email u to take it down. how do u thing i feel, i plan to make a site dedicated to mostly copyrighted images
 
IceToEskimos said:
if you are changing the image in some way, you are changing the checksum, so I'm not sure how they could prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that the image is not your original work.
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That's exactly what I thought. Unless they have some other hidden data other than the checksum that I don't know about.
 
LOL hidden data.. screenshot the image, don't use the original. I admit, I use Google images a lot and just lift the images. Unless it's obvious they don't want the image used, I'll go ahead and use it. I'm not in America either which reduces the risk of issues propping up.

Is it theft? Grey area IMO.
 
SOPA is dead, grow a pair. Noone is worried about people who steal a few images here and there. Now if you are the owner of a filesharing site, run Forrest RUN!!
 
LOL Just don't use anything that says 'Getty' on it.

If you do enough to an image, you can claim derivative work. How much you need to do? Depends on who's raising hell and how loud.
 
When it concerns fonts, use dafont.com and set the search option to FREE. When it concerns vectors/icons: Icon Search Engine | Iconfinder and set it to FREE only. When it concerns free stock photography, check out: stock.xchng - the leading free stock photography site

And when all else fails for stock photography, just do a quick search at iStock Photo: Royalty Free Stock Photography, Vector Art Images, Music & Video Stock Footage | iStock and buy from there.. If what you need is only for the web, you can use a low dimension option for the image and they're almost always dirt cheap.
 
poisonsembrace said:
LOL hidden data.. screenshot the image, don't use the original. I admit, I use Google images a lot and just lift the images. Unless it's obvious they don't want the image used, I'll go ahead and use it. I'm not in America either which reduces the risk of issues propping up.

Is it theft? Grey area IMO.
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Any original image or piece of text is automatically copyright by the originator I think, therefore it would probably come under theft, albeit pretty trivial and minor theft.
 
BassHead said:
Nobody is going to hunt you down for taking blue arrows, but I could see stock photos being an issue. I honestly think the only way you would ever have an issue is if the actual creator of the image found it on your site. And even then I don't know what they could do to you besides ask that you take it down.
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They won't come after you most likely for using arrows, and the like but I've had take down requests come in for avatars, smileys, and other images posted on forums over the years.
 
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