Stolen Photo by http://www.bluepulz.com/

[Fred Vloo]

Hi Juergen,

Strong action again. Maybe sent them the link to your site as well?

Cheers Fred

[miraflores]

Yes Fred, I did.
I send the link to the site to 10 different people in both offices.
Regards
Juergen

[stevo]

They removed my picture from their website, but NO sorry, NO answer, NOTHING

stevo wrote:
Seems that they also use my pictures.
Euro Corallo : http://www.stevo.be/displayimage.php?pos=-824

[miraflores]

Ken,
the best and onliest way to stop copyright vioalion is self protection, that means remove all the fotos from the web and upload no more fotos.
Is this a good idea?
I think not.
Companies must know (and I think they know it) that the are not allowed to take any copyright protected foto, drawing, painting, texture from the internet without authors permission.
But if the do and this will be found out I myself think it is very legal to name these companies, so as I did.

Regards
Juergen

[miraflores]

.

[Guest]

kensmith wrote:
This topic has had a very good run in the Forum and I am sure that everyone is now fully aware of the situation and the risks they take uploading their photo's. We currently have approximately 35,442 registered members of the site of which approximately 10 members have contributed to this thread, of that 10 about 3 or 4 have made more than one contribution to the thread, that I feel is not a very large percentage of the membership of the site.
Ken

Surely the fact that the topic has attracted some 1601 views speaks volumes for the fact that members do want to read about and contribute to this topic!

This is contribution number 3 from me, are we now having our Forum activity monitored by Admins to such an extent that they count how active we are?

Personally I always thought that the Forum was a place for members to freely discuss matter provided decency etc are upheld.

In your reckoning 10 have contributed to this thread but again please take into account the number of viewings by members.

Please also be aware of using the statistic of 35,442 registered members, we ALL know that this is a highly inflated number and certainly does not recognise those who are what we could describe as regular members. So statistics as quoted go out of the window I'm afraid.

One last thing - the heading of this thread is self explanatory - if a member doesn't want to read the latest posting to the thread then they don't click on the topic. Seems simple to me - rather like not switching onto a TV channel if you don't like the content.

[Cornelia Klier]

by kensmith on 2010/1/21 2:53:56  Hi Cornelia,  Whilst I understand your frustration at having your photographs stolen there is something that hasn't as yet been mentioned and that is all the free publicity that all the links that have been shown recently are giving these sites, I would imagine they are loving it, do you really think this is a good idea. ?  As has been said so many times there is not a great deal the site can do to stop this as it would seem that copyright and watermarks are not stopping this activity, it is one of the risks we have to take when dealing with the internet so sadly it is a fact of life.  I have just browsed the Forum today Thurs 08-30 UK time and it is exactly as is should be, no complaints, no whinging and plenty of interesting topics for discussion, how nice it would be if we could keep it this way.  This is addressed to you but not directed to you personally it is meant as a general comment to all members as something that we should bear in mind with regard to the activities in the Forum, everyone should remember that a lot of people look in on our Forum.  Kind regards Ken

Hello Ken,

thanks for replying to me !!

I do completely agree with you, that this topic has been making the round more and more now, and you mentioned the relation of members in total and members who contributed to this discussion.

Then, I think members in total, there are so many who do not upload photos here, or some who do not care, which I think, is their own business.

I do care, because I do believe in things like fairness, and I think a company who is actually using imges for making money, should not get away with this. However, of course it is our own thing, what to do.

But I think, it is the wrong way to say "ok some people have a problem with it, we can't fix it so let's keep quiet over it".

I think, you are right in the way that it is not good to have this topic going again and again around this forum, but as well J

[E. Vroom]

What's the use of a forum other than discussing topics among people.
That's everyones liberty.

One who feels it's moaning, doesn't like it....
Well that's like watching television, just change the channel or even switch off the set.

Better, come up with a new constructive subject or idea, share news, upload your best photos.....

[Guest]

"Thank you for your very impersonal comment, I will not reply to it in full, I will leave the members to make their own judgement.

Regards
Ken"

Facts, simply facts, nothing 'personal', so surprised you have even responded in such a manner and especially as you sent me a PM explaining the situation.

On one hand you want the thread to cease, yet you persist on making posts that keep it alive? - you cannot have it both ways!

[Stan Muller]

I am following this discussion from the beginning. In my opinion breaches of copyright are alway welcome / neccessary to be mentioned in the forum. If you are not interested, don't read it.
Stop maoning about the use of a forum and upload a picture worth stealing.

Stan

[Bj]

Hello
Maybe it can be an end of the discussing.Before you can download a photo etc.
you have to be registerd and logged in.When you register the first time you have
to wait a week/month before you can download.Then it is not very interesting
for news/magacines use.

[miraflores]

This is not true.
My son is not a member but he can download any foto he wants.
Search the foto, right mouse click, save, ready. The next one.

[Cornelia Klier]

by Derek sands on 2010/1/21 17:43:32

Hi Everyone,

I will try to respond to as many points on this as I can.
Ken I believe is expressing his views openly and honestly as he sees it.
Free speech provided decency is not infringed is of course welcome on the forum. That does mean we all get a go at it, and express our personal views.
Copyright is important and I think that Juergen for me has approached it correctly. Despite Ken's fears the links are useful in identifying the culprits and the only free advertising they are getting is "bad press".
As Cornelia and others have stated these companies know that they are infringing copyright and some don't care!
A copyright notice will be added to all images in the new site, but not impinge on the photo. It is still ok to watermark within the site guidelines but of course these do not offer much protection with Photoshop and other software easily able to clone it out. To disable right click would defeat the object of a sharing site and offers not much protection from a screen dump anyway.
So we are dependent on the watchfullness of members and the honesty of some companies.

Oh one more thing, yes the forum is monitored of course to ensure I and others are able to respond to threads like this.
There is no other motive except to ensure anything indecent or blatant advertisement is removed promptly.

best regards
Derek

Hello Derek,

interesting to read your comments !! I am VERY happy to read that you do think, that free speech is supported on this forum, and you seem to recognize this as well - as long as it stays decent and objective.

However, I got the feeling that Ken is not in favour of having certain discussions on the forums, no matter how decent or objective it is. Just because, and just because "the new owners might not like this".

Now, I would like to know - is this the new way to go ? New owners want people to contribute photos but shut up ? Not discuss controveral topics in public "just because" (Just because means to me.. I do not understand a reason why not discuss )

I simply agree with that www.shipspotting.com can not protect us against copyright infringements but only can highlight a bit more to onlookers that photos on the site are copyright by photographer.

But I think, it is wrong to say, that this discussion must end.. just because, and not any logical reason given, just saying that "last year this time it was quiet".

Of course, in the future this, and other topics can come up but it is neccessary to keep open speech here.

If it starts to become like this that some coward people here, who are afraid of the new owners "might not like this or that" try to keep all here quiet, despite there are things some members might like to discuss, then it is not a good place to be, anymore.

Last not least, I would like to know the reason, WHY some moderators here do not like this topic being discussed here ?? Ken mentioned it, and Ken mentioned that you do think alike, and I want to know why.

[Phil English]

Cornelia and others,

First of all, I am not replying to this as an admin, but as a long-standing member of shipspotting.com. What I, and many others, see time after time is nothing but complaining and moaning by certain members of the site. I am not saying that you are doing it all Cornelia, far from it. Nor am I saying that we shouldn't have "free speech" by way of constructive comments and suggestions, of course we should. But there comes a time when some long-running threads become destructive rather than constructive. Yes, there are some positive suggestions here, but after a while anything positive disappears into a myriad of moaning that is far from decent or objective, to use your phrase. This has nothing to do with what the new owner might think, but everything to do with what members and potential members might think. God knows what anyone coming to this forum for the first time might think. If it was me, I would probably steer well clear. Is that really what we want? It would not surprise me either if we have lost members.  Not because they are worried about copyright violation but because they are fed up with bitching and moaning. You and others say that it is simple to avoid such threads and just ignore them. Well, not quite. We all like to know what's going on and copyright violation is a valid subject to discuss. I want to read about it and see it discussed maturely, not read the same moans and arguments over and over again. That's the point.. it's not the subject that's the problem, it's the way people discuss it.

Phil

[Cornelia Klier]

Hello Phil,

I agree with you, that moaning and arguing is not what does bring us any further, also not as a community. I highlight what "polsteam" has written before, that as a community we should stick together, and keep an eye on eachothers, and help eachothers, as well warn eachother if possible.

This will have to be done in the future, as well.

I am against requests like Ken to "close a thread because discussion is not wanted anymore". Who decides what is wanted and what not ?

I think, J