Something is weighing on my mind, I have not mentioned it
and held in my opinions for quite a while now but I really do feel the need to
say something about it. (You know me, I'm never one to keep my opinion to
myself!)
It's all about images, other peoples images and the misuse
of them now that 'sharing' on the internet has become so prolific.
Let me tell you a story, it's about a photographer. She
worked really hard to learn her craft, she sold her soul just a little bit to
buy all of her expensive equipment, she worked long hours for almost no money
so she could set herself up in business. This talented individual took some
amazing photographs, they were in some cases her crowning glory and people
started to know about her because of the amazing images she created.
Then one day she was flipping around the internet and she
spotted one of her photos. "How lovely" ,she thought ",someone
has shared my photo because they like it so much….but wait…" It doesn't
have her name on it, no link to her website or social media pages and it has
definitely not been paid for…so really, it is not a lovely gesture at all.
Actually, it's being used to advertise someone else's business…bleurgh.
That photo, in fact, has been stolen. She put all her energy
and talent into creating something beautiful and someone has ripped her off.
"But it's just a photo," I hear you say, it's not stealing. That's
where you are wrong my friend.
Images, even if they have been placed on the internet
without a watermark are still the photographers property. This is how
photographers make their living, by selling images, and if you use it for
things like your business promotions, invitations or your website it is NOT
COOL!!
If you can't create a decent image yourself, please buy one,
don't rip it off the internet. There are plenty of stock photo websites where
you can buy an image and use it publicly, with the correct licences, for a few
dollars.
So, please don't be a photo thief. I know that sites like
Pinterest and the seemingly
endless batch of memes dropping on our facebook pages make it look like it's ok
to share/swipe ideas and images, but if you check carefully the law says it's
not. And even if you choose to ignore the laws on copyright and intellectual
property, it really isn't very nice to rip that photographer off when all she
is doing is trying to make a living…is it?
Be nice, if you must share the image because you think it is
totally amazing please link back to the original creator. It's only fair.
Have
you shared the odd un-linked image? Have you seen a blatant disregard for
copyright? What ticks you off about all of this?
