Use our image matching algorithm to search over 800 million images along with image data from all of the major image search engines.
Are you worried that your photographs might be stolen online? Or, maybe you run a website or publication and are concerned that you will be on the receiving end of a copyright scandal. It may seem as if there is a new stolen photograph scandal every week. For UK magazine, The Big Issue, that was the case when they recently found their publication thrust into the spotlight.
The drama began when someone visited a photo exhibition. The person who attended the event took a picture of a fantastic photograph of David Lynch and posted it to the stock photo website, Alamy. Alamy’s stock website boasts 165 million images available for purchase. The only problem, the original image was taken by Nadav Kander, who discovered the image theft and wasn’t very happy about it.
Kander was upset enough that he posted the following on his Instagram page, on July 5th, along with an image of his original photograph. His complaint received over 8,000 likes:
According to websites like Fstoppers, Alamy’s version of the image did show a photograph frame, which was black, around the David Lynch piece and the background wall the work was hanging on. However, it is hard to fact check it as an amateur sleuth, since the stock photo website has now removed the user and photograph.
In response to Nadav Kander’s complaint and probably in hopes of avoiding a time-consuming lawsuit, The Big Issue magazine responded with the following:
Hi Nadav, we’re very sorry you feel aggrieved. This image was sourced by the art team. They discovered it on Alamy. It’s a great image that we felt would help move the magazine. We told Alamy what we were doing and neither tried to pull the wool over anybody’s eyes nor get away without paying.
While some people side with Kander and feel the magazine should have done their due diligence, others think that it was ultimately a forgivable error and speaks to how confusing selecting online images can be, or that Alamy was at fault.
If you aren’t sure where to turn for stolen photographs (whether to avoid having yours stolen or using other’s without consent), you’re not alone. Pro and budding photographers use Berify for the most excellent photo search tools and facial recognition technology. Using a high powered search like Berify can uncover the source of photographs, where other search sites might be stumped.
Even if you use a copyrighted picture by mistake, you could risk being sued with a copyright infringement lawsuit. Or, you could end up feeling like Kander, as if your hard work was taken and used without permission, essentially stealing money from your pocketbook.
Stop stolen photographs and copyright infringement. Find out who is using your images without consent and don’t get caught with your hand in the darkroom! Check your pictures and find their source and web trail, at Berify.
Photo stealing scandals often occur when a professional or amateur photographer has their images stolen and used without permission. However, for award-winning Australian based pho… Read More
In this Internet age, it is becoming more and more popular for photographers to have their photography work stolen and it is very easy to do. As a photographer, you work hard to pe… Read More
Is one of your strengths as a photographer the ability to create eye-catching commercial images that highlight services and goods? If you can imagine your work being shown in direc… Read More
There are tens of millions of high-quality images which you're free to use public domain images. There are excellent places to discover free photos. Copyright free images are avail… Read More
Join 57,284 subscribers and get an original essay twice a week.
Subscribe Now No sales pitches, no games, and one-click unsubscribe.Berify, located in Los Angeles, California is on a mission to allow the world to track their images online. From photographers to models, vloggers,lawyers and the average Joe, we help you find and track the use of your images online.
Berify, LLC
Los Angeles, CA 92562
General Inquiries: welcome@berify.com