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Copyright Infringement, google images, Google Images are not public domain, hot to transfer photo from google images, how to share images from pinterest, how to transfer photo to pinterest, how to use google images, how to use photos from pinterest, Is it alright to use Pinterest Images, Is it ok to use Google images, Pinterest copyright infringement, pinterest images, Right clicking photos, using pinterest
Who asked permission to upload this to Pinterest? No one did, yet it’s there!
This past weekend some friends and I were discussing how some people use images from Pinterest, Facebook and Google Images. I shared a copyright infringement story with them, and told how shocked I have been recently to find so many of my images ‘shared’ on Pinterest. But I should be honored, right? Flattered that an award-winning photograph had been ‘pinned’ without my permission and uploaded, and basically been given to the world wide web to be used however they’d like! I think that that person who pinned the above image agreed before adding the image that they owned or had permission to share it.
This past week WordPress put their spotlight on reblogging and also on Using Other People’s Images. Both posts received a lot of interesting feedback, including a link to DON’T STEAL MY STUFF, DUDE – Laura at ‘Lolabees’ states her clear case and managed to make me chuckle at the end as well! Please read her post, a real eye opener for any blogger.
Sometimes people truly don’t realize they have violated a copyright; One of my friends this past week gasped when she realized that Google Images is not a grab-bag of public domain goodies!
Here’s a story from Roni Lauren who innocently used a “Google Image” and paid a very unfortunate price: “Well on one random post, I grabbed one random picture off of Google and then a few weeks later… ” Read her story here on Bloggers Beware: You CAN Get Sued Using Photos You Don’t Own On Your Blog.
Surely Little Bit enjoyed this flight through the mango trees, but he also took a ride to Pinterest!
Virginia Debolt says, “Just as grievous –- that many pins are pulled directly from Google images, a clear violation of any copyrighted image.” See her article here: pinterest-and-intellectual-property-conundrum where she addresses the Pinterest Terms of Service to the uploader, “...You either are the sole and exclusive owner of all Member Content that you make available through the Site, Application and Services or you have all rights, licenses, consents and releases that are necessary to grant… “
No one has asked me for permission or a release, so they must have assumed they were the exclusive owner! I think not! Do they even wonder how many years it took to win the trust of the howler moneys in order to get a photo like the one below? Imagine my shock when I opened someone’s post and found this cutie staring back at me with zero credits! I wrote the blogger, who immediately removed the image, but she never replied back!
“Will You Teach Me To Speak English?” Cultural Exchange – Costa Rica and then a surprise visit to another blog!
Tara Bradford’s story of downloading her own image from Pinterest is interesting, and she also states, “But I noticed a few “pinners” list Google as the source and no direct attribution is provided. Obviously, Google is not a photographer and doesn’t take photographs (other than for Google Maps). “ Read more here: Pinterest and Copyright
Our very talented wordsmith Linda at The Task at Hand has had her share of frustrations with theft of her highly-original material. See her post: CONTENT THEFT – IT MATTERS TO ME.
Is-Pinterest-a-Haven-for-Copyright-Violations states: “Most Pinterest members are conscientious about giving a credit and a link back to the source. That gives it a little free PR. So everything’s hunky dory, right? Wrong. Thousands of Pinterest members are breaking copyright and causing headaches for artists, photographers, and bloggers. Many image owners don’t mind at all, and are happy for the publicity! But for many photographers and artists, the problems caused by these copyright violations outweigh the benefits.”
from “It Started With One Lightpole.” – This story spread fast, though I was surprised that people uploaded and published the photos without asking permission. They DID give full credit and a link back, but still…. it would be nice to be asked in advance!
One new shock came from an unexpected source, when someone ‘confessed’ that he downloaded one of my images and used it in a public presentation because it was ‘such a nice image.’ I was so surprised, that I had no reply!
If I still haven’t convinced some of you to delete images from Pinterest or your blog that you have no true right to have used, here are a few more articles!
You’re risking getting sued by using pinterest
Pinteresting Stuff You Should Know about Pinterest
I’ve written about this before; some of the comments are worth reviewing: from-pingbacks-to-pinterest-to-copyright-issues/
For every person who has stomped on the rules of professionalism, there are also those who have used sensitive respect for my posts and images. Coming soon is a post that tips my paintbrush to those who displayed complete professionalism and honored my work as an artist!
Z
Zeebra Designs & Destinations 
Thank you for this excellent post! I have just closed down my Pinterest Account simply because I don’t want to be inadvertently hurting someone in our blogging community. I had no idea about the terms of service. Thank you for opening the dialogue on this important subject. The discussion was extraordinary!
It hurts my heart a little when I think of those who are redesigning their posts because of images they used that they assumed were ok to use. people put a lot of work into looking for the right image, only to find out later that they have ‘sinned’ —
i’d read posts regarding giving up copyrights on pinterest last year – another great post by an attorney.
sigh.. life is difficult sometimes, and yes, the discussion was amazing. thanks amiga!
Thank you for an excellent article. I had no idea of the implications of pinning others images on Pinterest and, like Rebecca, I am closing my pinterest account. Unfortunately this doesn’t just happen on pinterest. An eye-opener for me.
Wow,Isabella. I admire you and everyone who respects the work of others and walk away from something that has given you joy. It’s a very delicate issue.
Thank you so much for your feedback.
Lisa/Z
You’re welcome, Lisa. I think that when we show respect for others, then we can expect to have others show us respect. We reap what we sow.
I will take greater care in future with images that I use, although most are my own, I have used photos from Google Images too. It is very difficult to find out who actually owns those images, because so many other people are using them!! I think it better not to use them in future at all. Thank you for bringing this to my attention. Blessings.
If the world were populated with more kind and generous people like you, we wouldn’t need to have rules and red tape! People would get by on the honor system!
Yes, I agree with you, you reap what you sow! Thanks!
I am afraid copyright ‘theft’ it is a situation that will only get worse. It also devalues artists/photographers work. Recently I had an enquiry from a large company (they did have the manners to ask) to use about 20 images from my blogs on their web site. I smelt the rat as soon as they started waxing lyrically about how good these images were ‘simply terrific’. They then went onto tell me just how many thousands of clicks their site gets each week and if my images were well liked they would also transfer them to their next brochure which would be circulated to umpteen thousand clients. If I allowed them to use the images they would be pleased to give full credit for each image and add any web link. My reply was friendly; I would be pleased to supply images, stated a modest fee for web use, per image, and would be pleased to quote for the brochure usage if they gave me more detail. Curt reply…’we don’t expect to pay, after all they are ONLY photographs…we were only being polite in asking’. I bet they charge for all their services…..and yes I watch their web site just in case.
Sad but a reflection of internet life today
Thank you for that candid story, and you are so right to suspect – ahem, smell a rat! It could have been a win-win option, but they wanted to take but give little back.
Good for you for having the wisdom to be polite but firm.
Thank you so much for sharing this story!
Lisa/Z
Great discussion, I have never done pinterest for that very reason, people steal the photos and seem to be encouraged to do so, and there is no thought or reference to you.
thank you for your feedback. i wonder why some people have little conscience any more… thankfully there are some with a strong code of honor!
Great post, z. We need every blogger out there to get the word out about this problem. Doesn’t that just make it even worse when the blogger who steals your photo takes it down without even sending a reply? Not even an apology? I mean, they don’t even need to really be sincere about it, but it’s just good manners. It’s as if they’re entitled to it and you’re inconveniencing them. Have you been able to go after/contact the Pinterest users who used your work?
i joined pinterest, so i left a note that the image belonged to me and i’d prefer if they would remove it. i’ve not been back on the site to see if it’s still there… thanks for reminding me!
I’ll be curious to hear how that goes! I just sent you an email to get your opinion on a copyright issue I am having.
we need to find a wordpress copyright attorney and invite him/her to join the circle!
Reblogged this on the northward route.
I hear you! But I now believe that there are only two approaches. Either you (A) pursue infringers. Those who do not take it down or who have made money from it you try to collect from; or (B) you don’t pay any attention to it and find an effective way to watermark your image without taking away from it (which is tough). There is absolutely nothing anyone can do about the theft of images on the internet. If someone thinks by sharing it in a blog or on G+ but not on Pinterest or FB or Flickr they are avoiding theft they are naive, in my opinion. You either share your work on the internet and realize it will be stolen or you don’t share anything. That is the way it is. By the way, option (A) above is only worth it if you hire a 3rd party to do the pursuing for you. This is the only time-effective option. Also, it removes you from the process. You are putting far too much stress on yourself if you contact infringers yourself.
thanks for sharing your wise feedback. yes, one needs to find a way to dodge the frustrations, though i doubt if i ever will be neutral if i open a post and see one of my photos or paintings as the feature image and not have been contacted for permission.
thank you so much for your feedback!
lisa/z
Hello, Zeeb! It’s been awhile since I wandered down your way. I started reading at the last post here and read backwards. I have that habit. It doesn’t work well, but I seem to keep doing it! 🙂 I had to stop here to tell you that I see this happening everywhere. I view a lot of images and find them repeatedly posted without credit. I can’t recall the title of the last FB page that I had to chastise. I demanded that they either give full credit or shut down. I reported it to the FB team too. I had already suggested that the page would be great … but, only if they gave credit for the collected images. Few things annoy me like seeing a fabulous image with no information re: who it belongs to. I want to know that. I would assume everyone does want to know, but apparently not. I disliked Pinterest from the beginning, but haven’t bothered to close the old account that I probably can’t get into now. I never posted to it. Thanks for this. I’m gonna’ post it on FB. And, I’m off to close that damn Pinterest account now. 😉 Hey, love the Iguana and reading the posts back to here. See you.
hey! thank you so much for your feedback, and thanks for speaking up for others!
yes, sometimes i see really nice images ‘features’ but with zero credits, and i also wonder who that person might be and if they’re aware that someone is using their material.
i also tend to work backwards when i am catching up on reading! thanks for stopping by!
lisa/z
If you have a desire to be annoyed, amused and educated, click on the link below from the article “Social Media Sites: photo metadata test results” from the folks at the
Embedded Metadata Initiative
http://www.embeddedmetadata.org/social-media-test-results.php
Green dots are friendly red dots are not.
thank you so much! i’ve been away from home and was glad to see your feedback. i really enjoyed that page and others with specific information… i look forward t reading more soon.
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Wonderful post! Thankfully I only pin my own images, with links to one of my new blog posts to my pinterest. I always felt that there was something wrong about pinning other people’s work. But this really made me think about some of the art I’ve posted to my blogs. Thankfully I’ve known most of the artists, but this just makes me want to double ask people!
Also, beautiful photos!
thank you for your feedback! yes, most people appreciate when others aim the spotlight at them/their work, but i’ve learned from much research that one should always ask first, if even quoting a source. it’s good every so often to have a refresher course on cyber etiquette!
isn’t there some way that a photographer can disable the right click for their images that would work even on google?.
i’ve been trying to figure that out as well. i found a few tutorials, but i could not find all of the settings that they used.
if i figure it out, i’ll post the results! thanks so much!
z
Reblogged this on Rangewriter and commented:
Blogging has opened a Pandora’s box of of sharing without always caring. It is so easy to right click and save as or to copy/paste when we find convenient content. Zeebra Designs has written a marvelous post explaining what is wrong with using copyrighted material without permission. And yes, if I wrote it, it’s copyrighted. If you wrote it or snapped it or coughed it up, it is copyrighted. I encourage you to read this entire post and as much of the discussion that follows as you can. Her links are also very helpful.
I just linked this blog to ConorBofin.com. He just had an issue, and this post immediately came to mind. Just wanted to give you an FYI!
Here is the link to Conor’s post: http://conorbofin.com/2013/07/16/copyright-theft-whats-a-food-blogger-to-do/
Excellent post, thank you. I don’t mind at all if people use/reblog/pin etc my images but common courtesy says I should be asked, and credited, shouldn’t I? I recently found a great blog on ‘Manners’. Maybe I’ll ask the blogger to cover this subject, even reblog your post (with your permission, of course!).
thank you for your comment! i would like to think that most of the bloggers are decent kind and sensitive people, and they are guilty of not knowing proper online etiquette. finding a sensitive way to inform them will probably do more than blasting someone! of course you may reblog; i’d love to see the post on manners as well!
lisa/z
Thank you for this, many things I didn’t know. I think I’ll need to go back through my blogs and give credit to images I am using that were developed by other people.
hey jason!
i haven’t had a lot of time to read more of your posts, but i like the direction of your blogs and your interest in helping others toward more holistic lifestyles. i plan to go back tonight and read more.
working in the visual fields, i was taught the ‘rules’ long before internet became an option, and there has been very little formal education on what’s right and what’s not so right. it’s a learn-as-you-go field for most. i have friends who still right-click and share, and it’s a very delicate subject, even with good friends.
most people are delighted that someone likes their images enough to share them and willingly give their ok.. but it’s quite a shock to see them unexpectedly – sort of like a guy seeing his girl on the arm of someone else!
i’ll be back tonight to read more.. i enjoyed the post about chili peppers, and i agree.. someone asked me once what i recommended for them to help get out of a n emotional slump. i immediately said, ‘eat more hot foods.. hot sauce from mexico, wasabi, ginger… they looked at me like i was crazy, and i said, ‘it works! your body releases feel-good endorphins!’….
anyway, i have a waterline to go fix so i’d best get offline! thanks so much for reading and spreading the word!
z
I resent being forced to watermark every image that I post somwhere:
http://themofman.wordpress.com/2012/08/03/to-watermark-or-to-not-watermark/
Yup I know a few who would benefit from this article, assuming they paid attention to it. I either pay or have an arrangement regarding attribution and in many cases as in one organization that I buy illustrations/photos for my blogs for a minimal fee, they also have a huge free photo file section where attribution is not required at all. It does involve time and work to set this up though, so most, I believe, don’t want to put the effort in. I know one person for sure who doesn’t! A great article Lisa, thank you! I missed this one!
hey amiga
i read this earlier but my reply is missing.. lo siento! thanks as always for your support! z
Hi Lisa, I adore you and your blog and your posts and your photographs and … I love your art and your caring ways! A pleasure to support you, as I can. The last few weeks my router for my wireless connectivity has been malfunctioning and messing with the wired in aspects also (huh?) Anyway hopefully will be completely fixed – new router on the way etc. soonest! I have some drawing to catch up on too, dear soulmate of mine! Penny, xx
Lisa, if you want to take some time to hunt down your images one day, open up two windows. One with your file images and one with Google Images. Drag and drop into Google images search box and the search will pull up the places the images can be found. IF you find it seems to be the same person then contacting them directly will likely suffice.
To take a tremendous amount of time would not be worth your while unless you were willing to sue which is just a hornet’s nest waiting to happen!
The images I use are normally from MorgueFile free images. It does the trick. The rest of my stuff is under creative Commons which is the very least I would expect – Credit and a Link back.
thanks amiga; a short while ago i sort of snickered at a comment you left on jueseppi’s post about a history of the word… you are so right, and i could all but hear your retort!!!
I can be a bit of a tiger if you let me loose 🙂 haha!
that’s much better than apathy! i’m proud of you!
If I were to ‘screen grab’ an image from a movie, then Photoshop it into an abstract – so it would be unrecognizable – but name the movie as a kind of credit to Hollywood or whomever, where do you think I would stand?
Not for profit, personal use only, and Pinterest of course. 😉
An example here:
Thanks
Ivor Lewis
wow; that’s very good food for thought! a friend and i were discussing copyright ethics tonight, and i wish i had seen this a bit earlier!
internet is very elusive where i am right now, and i hope there’s enough juice to push this through!
thanks so much for your comment… it deserves a much larger audience!
lisa/z
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Wow, I’m stunned! I had no idea that were issues on sites such as Pinterest, or even You Tube were an issue. Is it still illegal to use images if you give credit to the owner of the picture or video? The pictures on Pinterest usually have an artists name, but what if they don’t, then what? It looks to me like these sites are lawsuits waiting to happen, & the little, innocent guy is going to be the one that gets in trouble, while the guy who knows he’s pirating slips away!
you are so right, it’s always the innocents that get in trouble, and the big boys find ways to dodge the legal bullets.
basically it’s ‘ask permission’ always when it comes to using photos or artwork… most people are happy to share, but they do like to be asked in advance.. and then the proper credit and liinkback adds more professionalism.
i think/hope it’s ok to insert videos into posts. i need to do some research on that!
z
As far as using YouTube videos, if there is a share link, I use it. I figure if they didn’t want to share it, there wouldn’t be an easy way to do it.
‘common courtesy’ seems to be just phrase you might find on ‘Google’
si… common courtesy works for mankind’s respect for one another, something that needs fostering across the globe.
I so feel your pain about people sharing images but copyrights or not, once you hit that return key and send it off to cyber space – it’s really out of your hands. One of my images on Pinterest has been shared, pinned, posted and looked at over 10k and there’s no way I can manage that. I has however, brought me tons of business so, it’s ok for me. What gets my goat is when people share my blog without permission and post it on THEIR blog – the whole thing – as if it was their own.
It’s especially ‘interesting’ when you open an international magazine and find one of your images prominently illustrating the cover story… many times its just remembering to ask permission and then give credit to the source…. but yes, it’s also inconsiderate when people copy the entire post and use it as if they’d written it. It makes us realize and treasure those who have integrity!
I so enjoy your posts!
What an eye-opening post! A few years ago, after reading Ms. Loren’s post, which you referenced, I started using free photos that grant an unlimited licence in my blog posts. They’re a lifesaver.
Hey Nadine! Thanks for your feedback, and I still struggle with how I feel about protecting copyrights… in one way it’s an honor when people like you art or photos – or written material, and usually it’s just the sensitivity to ask permission and give credit. Once they hit Pinterest, they often get lost and people don’t know – or care! That happens with Google images, too – people assume if it’s on Google it’s open season….
Anyway, thanks so much!
I always check the Terms & Conditions, and even if they state that one can use the photo, with attribution, I still contact the owner and give them a heads-up.
With Pinterest, I’ve noticed that many site owners have a Pin-it button on their graphics. I always leave those attributions in place. Pinterest is a great resource for me and provides me with creative inspiration. But I understand how murky the permission waters are, and use it as responsibly as I can.
si; pinterest does indeed have ‘at a glance’ instant gratification, and i am finding that on google searches for most anything, ‘pinterest’ results hog the top results. i don’t trust the source for providing correct information! ha, bah humbug! if that’s as bad as my life gets, i am very lucky!
I’m frustrated. I filed a copyright complaint with Pinterest and have yet to see any action taken removal of my image (painting). Does anyone know how quick they are to act on removing?The art gallery that set up their pinterest did not seek my permission to share this image. The art gallery appears to be defunct as their website is up for sale. I emailed Pinterest again. It would be helpful if Pinterest provided an auto-reply outlining time frame of image will be removed, or even letting you know complaint has been received and being processed. Pinterest’s customer service number does not work. I’ve been calling for 2 days and it says voicemail is full. I’ve also tried reaching out to the art gallery who’s email address was separate from their website. I don’t know what more I can do.
I am so sorry that this has happened to you, and yes, it is very frustrating! Most people who right-click and swipe our images are truly not aware that they are disrespectful to the creator of the images, and then someone sees their pinned images and swipes them, and they quickly go out of our domain and into the hands of the ones who deliberately use the images for their benefit. Too bad the art gallery is defunct or you could probably be able to press copyright violation charges.. it’s a real big issue with copyright law when someone else uses your work for a financial benefit.. if you’ve formally filed the images under copyright, you have a great bonus.. it’s been a long time since i checked the laws since i live in ecuador’s forests now and am not on line often.
please if you make progress let me know – it will add a lot to this queue of comments and might help people in the future.
Good luck!
Hi, glad to give you an update. Since I last wrote in, I managed to get my image removed from Pinterest, but my painting still appears on Google. The link is broken though, Pinterest says “Sorry, we can’t find that page.” Now I’m waiting for Google’s bot crawler to get around to updating the deleted URL. According to Google, their bot crawling can take anywhere from 4 days to 4 weeks. I don’t have gmail account which would help expedite the process by accessing their Google Console. From there, you can submit request to update URL by having the crawler revisit and remove page. I check daily but so far my image hasn’t been deleted off of Google.
And to think of what you could have been doing with that time – creating or spending time with good friends or walking in nature – but tied up in a ‘burst the art spirit’ hurdle.. So glad to know that you are making progress, and may your words help others in the future! Thank you for the update!
Pinterest has been my companion for a long time, and I’m glad that I used PinPinterest for my Pinterest account marketing. PinPinterest [com] has rendered such tremendous services that no other marketing tool can provide. The results were amazing; it took my Pinterest account to another level.
Thank you for this feedback, and I agree that many times my searches place me on Pinterest accounts.. What concerns me today is that if one uses that image, oftentimes the artist does not get the proper credit and later the design – which should be under copyright – has ended up as ‘a google image’ or a ‘pinterest image’ and it’s hard to lasso them back into proper ownership… my hands are too full these days and I’m a bit scared to see where my images are now – but as long as people don’t make huge profits with them, i suppose it’s ok! Thank you, Marie Christine, for sharing your views! Lisa
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