Friday 16 November 2012

Please Respect My Copyright

 Yep...this little chestnut has raised it's ugly head again.
 
PLEASE by all means, enjoy the photos and content of both KT Miniatures Journal and www.ktminiatures.com
but
please do also remember that they are protected by copyright.
 
It is both polite and a legal requirement to ask and be granted permission first before you use my photos and content. To "lift" my photos and text to put onto another website without my knowledge/consent is a clear breach of my copyright! 

You will find that there is and always has been a Copyright Disclaimer to the right of this KT Miniatures Journal and also within Terms & Conditions on every KT Miniatures web page.

So yet again,  this is a polite request to please respect my copyright.
Thank you
Celia

8 comments:

Christine said...

Hi Celia, I am wondering if you include Pinterest which, from what I can see, links back to the original site? I don't have Pinterest myself but have noticed that a significant amount of traffic to my blog comes from there.

Rick said...

I too have noticed huge numbers of my photos ending up on Pinterest recently, most of the traffic to my blog is coming from that site. And rarely does it credit me, or my blog for the photos.

Christine said...

Just looking at one of the pics from my blog on Pinterest, it has the original site (ie: mine) above the photo on the top right corner, then below the picture is a list of pins and repins so it would be easy to think you haven't been credited. If traffic is coming from there though, there has to be a link somewhere. :-)

I'm not saying that Pinterest should be exempt or anything, I don't know enough about it but thought maybe that it would be good advertising particularly for those in the business of dolls housing?

I guess the best solution is to label your photos in a prominent spot, which I have noticed a lot of bloggers doing lately.

KT Miniatures said...

Hi Christine and Rick. Many thanks for your comments.

'Tis interesting that you should both mention that particular website as I am becoming rather uncomfortable with how my images are being used on there....like you both said, there are images on there that do not credit us or have links...even if many do. Sadly they are not the only culprits though.

Of course, I fundamentally want people to enjoy my images and content. I have absolutely no objection for people to use my images and content for their own private enjoyment.

However, to lift and use my images (and text)without permission, to then place on a public website under their own name, in some cases to use to sell their wares, is completely different and totally unacceptable.

It goes without saying that of course I am delighted and indeed flattered, that people like my images/content and am grateful for any advertising/ links – who wouldn’t be?

BUT...at the end of the day, there is a legal copyright protecting my images/content. To use willy nilly, without permission is a breach of copyright.

Christine...I can perfectly understand why people are increasingly putting their name/copyright actually on their photos. Copyright issues are a minefield. However I really don't want to have to start doing that, unless I have to.
Celia

Rick said...

I completely agree with you Celia! I hope that you can contact the individuals that are inappropriately using your images and have them stop.
I think the only way to safeguard against this is to watermark our photos, or reduce them in size. But what fun is that?!

Two years ago I deleted my Flickr account which had a lot of photos of my antique Christmas collection on it. Those photos are STILL floating around, especially on Pinterest.

KT Miniatures said...

It's all so crazy isn't it Rick?

I know of some "dolls house" people also closing down their Flickr accounts because of the same reason (although not necessarily because of any one particular website - just that people generally were abusing their copyright). And I agree, if we have to start watermarking or putting some sort of identification mark on our photos...it will certainly not be as fun! Celia

Christine said...

Copyright rules interest me so I popped over to Pinterest (which as I said I knew little about) and found that if you are unhappy with the way your pictures are being used you can make a complaint.

http://pinterest.com/about/copyright/

It's a pity about your Christmas pictures, Rick, I'm sure a lot of people would have got a great deal of pleasure from them.

I actually don't mind names on photos done in a nice font and colour. Sometimes they enhance the picture and it is nice to know who owns it if you want to look for more information as origin is often lost online - which brings us back to the beginning of the circle. :-)

You do have my sympathy, Celia. I used to design embroidery patterns and that is an area of barefaced thievery! (7 minor changes DO NOT nullify copyright! Grrrr)


KT Miniatures said...

Yes...must admit I too had a peek...but I found them a little confusing.

As to people pinching your embroidery patterns...now you have my sympathy there Christine. Don't get me started on product plagiarism - I could be here some time!!!lol Celia