Copyright! Copywrong!

Carol came across a YouTube video recently that caught her attention. It was about the things people do to dogs, and was promoted as a bit of a heart breaker. The video was a collection of still photos (of numerous dogs) and told a story that was so unlikely, our conclusion was the creator had no idea about dogs. As an overview:

The dog’s owners ran into behavioral issues with it and so one night, when it was asleep, they picked it up and took it to their local shelter and left it there. When the dog woke up the next morning, imagine how it must have felt?

However, I was working on my laptop when Carol sent me a link to the video, and then came to where I was and asked me to watch it. As I watched this rather unlikely story unfold, I noticed a photo of a sleeping dog … very similar to Ray. The dog was sleeping on a bed just like Ray’s, and it was on a hardwood floor just like ………………………………..? It was a photograph of Ray that Carol took, and I posted here in 2015!

Given the age and education range of internet users, I have no problem with the situation where a creator did not think/did not know that one should not copy material without consent, or at least acknowledging its origins. An education in those circumstances is clearly required however, this particular video has accumulated over 10M hits since 2017 … which makes me think that it is a revenue generator!

Making an income out of other people’s property is, to me, a whole new scenario. I understand that, given the “Wild West” comparison that is often made about the internet, it is very difficult to pursue such activities to a conclusion that one would probably wish for, however YouTube have been formerly advised and claim to be investigating. If they agree with me (my evidence is obvious), then they will shut down that individual (who will probably simply create a new account under a different name). I am also requesting legal advice from those who specialize in copyright infractions/infringements.

It would be easy to get upset at such incidents, but it is always healthier to treat it as the history that it is …. accept advice from those more learned than I …. acknowledge that there are more honest/ethical people in the world than there are dishonest/unscrupulous … and move on!

Now if I could only reach those 10M viewers, and sell them a copy of “Who Said I was up for Adoption?”!!!!!!!

28 thoughts on “Copyright! Copywrong!”

  1. Oh wow! I am sure that was a shock for you to see Ray’s picture! I hope you are able to get things taken care of in a way thats not too difficult. Have you been able to contact the perison that made the video? Questions swirling and yes it would be quite great if there was a way to reach those 10M viewers about Ray’s book. :))

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    • I have been advised that as long as I can prove the existence of the photograph, and provide all the background data to same, prior to it going public, then the onus will be on the “delinquent” to prove ownership prior to that time. I am also advised that it is very difficult to actually get these kinds of situations settled. The offending video has now been blocked. It really is a “wild west” mentality out there but then … it always was 🙂

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  3. I have a copyright statement on my blog and make every effort to cite original sources when I use other material. Unfortunately, copyright is one of the hardest forms of intellectual property protection to enforce. Perhaps you can go nicely back to the people who have used Ray’s image and ask them to post a link to your book’s selling page? Tell them that you appreciate the fact that using your copyrighted image was probably an oversight in the internet age – but could they please help you out in exchange?

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  4. One time I used a photo I found through Google. There was no originating info so I assumed that it was “free” or at least free unless used to make money. It was a kite. The person who owned the photo contacted me within hours and we had emails going back and forth. I volunteered to immediately take it down but he preferred to be given credit for it instead. It was within my first month of blogging and I had no idea how to do that so he had to walk me through it. All turned out OK in the end. I am much more careful these days.

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  5. I’m sorry that happened to you. It is extremely frustrating, definitely. A few years ago I came across a video compilation of Australian Shepherd pictures that was made by a teenager. It had photos in it that I had taken and actually had “watermarks” on them that could be seen. Nevertheless the photos were used illegally. I was able to get the person to remove the video by commenting that there were pictures that had been used without permission and writing the person a separate message. Hopefully it will not be difficult for you to remedy this situation.

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    • Hi Anne. It was disappointing that someone would be that thoughtless/unscrupulous (assuming it was not some pre-teen/early teen getting their toes wet on the internet), and worse, of course, if revenue was generated as a result. It will however be addressed in whatever way is deemed practical. Stay tuned. 🙂

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  6. I’m sorry to hear this. Tho I remember reading someone’s blog when I first started out and they said you WILL have your content stolen at some point or other. They suggested writing your name right across the middle of your photo.
    Yes, it would be nice to reach that audience of 10M!

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  10. Did you post on his YouTube channel or the video that the picture is yours? Aside from the fact that your photo was used without your consent (which of course is the main issue) perhaps an opportunity exists to reach some of those 10m viewers to advertise your book…?

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  11. You have certain rights under the digital copyright laws, however, unless you actually copyrighted the photo and have the certificate, most lawyers won’t touch the case. I would have contacted the user first and asked him/her to remove the photo or compensate you for it’s use, based on number of views, etc. If you didn’t get a response, then contact YouTube. I’ll be curious to know how this all turns out.

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