Author Topic: Stolen images on a foreign site? (Read 4054 times)

mantonino · « **on:** March 10, 2010, 11:43 »

http://gsm-kartinki.com/categories.php?cat_id=20

I see mine on there - I see a lot of familiar stuff.

click_click · « **Reply #1 on:** March 10, 2010, 12:05 »

Looks like small sized images for cell phones.

Try to find out the web hosting company and write a DMCA notice to them. They will ask the owner to remove the content.
In many cases you will waste your time asking the site owner to remove the stuff.

cclapper · « **Reply #2 on:** March 10, 2010, 12:12 »

Tons of nudes, lots of fractals, illustrations and 3D models. Didn't see too many actual photographs, though I didn't go through all 600+ pages.

Send a copyright infringement notice to the site owner, web hosting company AND your microstock sites that rep you...they might intervene also.

mantonino · « **Reply #3 on:** March 10, 2010, 12:43 »

That was hard! I contacted the site that hosts them but the "verification code" was a question about Bulgaria! what?! lol

Dreamframer · « **Reply #4 on:** March 10, 2010, 13:04 »

Yes, it's Bulgarian language...Hmmm....

stormchaser · « **Reply #5 on:** March 10, 2010, 19:28 »

Quote from: mantonino on March 10, 2010, 12:43

That was hard! I contacted the site that hosts them but the "verification code" was a question about Bulgaria! what?! lol

If you actually find your own work there, you as the copyright owner should contact the Google Ads people and tell them the site is running your images without your permission. The only way to get these sites shut down is to cut off their revenue stream. As you may have seen, Google Ads are running on this site.

First though, ensure that this isn't one of those bizarre third party Dreamstime sites, so you might want to contact DT first.

Dreamframer · « **Reply #6 on:** March 10, 2010, 19:37 »

hey have tens of thousands of images, and all are just thumbnails. I would say all of them are from microstock. There are no any links to buy images, so they are not anyones partner. I guess someone stole thumbnails from some website, and distributing them as cellphone wallpapers. Let me check some more...

Dreamframer · « **Reply #7 on:** March 10, 2010, 19:48 »

So, not all images are from microstock, but most of them are. All of them are in thumb size. Images don't have any IPTC data, and there are no links to any other website, except the website who illegally distributes flash games. They are obviously from Bulgaria, as well as the website that distributes flash games, and they obviously found a way to rip-off only thumbnails from some microstock website, because only crazy person would do it manually. There are literally several hundreds of thousands images, and anyone can download them freely. I guess they live of google adds. I am afraid that everyones images are there...not only yours

click_click · « **Reply #8 on:** March 10, 2010, 20:03 »

Whois info from www.netsol.com:

Quote

This domain is registered by: Host.bg

Domain Name: GSM-KARTINKI.COM

Registrant:
Nikolaj Nikolov
Nikolaj Nikolov (nikste@abv.bg)
none
Sofiya
Sofija,1000
BG
Tel. +359.1234567

Creation Date: 12-Mar-2009
Expiration Date: 12-Mar-2010

Domain servers in listed order:
redirns2.bgdns.net
redirns1.bgdns.net

Administrative Contact:
Nikolaj Nikolov
Nikolaj Nikolov (nikste@abv.bg)
none
Sofiya
Sofija,1000
BG
Tel. +359.1234567

Technical Contact:
Nikolaj Nikolov
Nikolaj Nikolov (nikste@abv.bg)
none
Sofiya
Sofija,1000
BG
Tel. +359.1234567

Status:ACTIVE

I can't make a claim as I couldn't find any of my images.

click_click · « **Reply #9 on:** March 10, 2010, 20:04 »

Lol - the domain is expiring in 2 days.

Don't even bother. If they let it expire the content will soon pop up on another domain...

Nasty stuff.

Dreamframer · « **Reply #10 on:** March 10, 2010, 20:09 »

Ok, I found it. Images are from 123RF because names on the website, and names of images on 123RF are the same, with 123RF serial number.
123RF is not guilty. This could happen to any agency, and it's only saying that people can still download our thumbnails and earn some money using them. This should be reported.

Dreamframer · « **Reply #11 on:** March 10, 2010, 20:27 »

Quote from: click_click on March 10, 2010, 20:04

Lol - the domain is expiring in 2 days.

Don't even bother. If they let it expire the content will soon pop up on another domain...

Nasty stuff.

But maybe we could inform Google. It will be the same google user even if it pops-up somewhere else.

click_click · « **Reply #12 on:** March 10, 2010, 20:35 »

Quote from: Whitechild on March 10, 2010, 20:27

But maybe we could inform Google. It will be the same google user even if it pops-up somewhere else.

That would be the right thing to do, but I still didn't find any of my images so I can't make a claim.

In any case, if the domain is not being renewed, Google won't be able to verify all that as the domain is gone...
I'm not sure if they check their site cache for things like that.

In any case, someone who is affected should take action sooner than later!

Dreamframer · « **Reply #13 on:** March 10, 2010, 20:47 »

maybe if you search some category that is smaller you could find some of yours. There are images of hundreds or maybe thousands of photographers.

mantonino · « **Reply #14 on:** March 10, 2010, 20:49 »

I contacted Google, MyPage site that hosts it and BGDNS (who I don't think will help). Google was a good idea - I just did that one now.

mantonino · « **Reply #15 on:** March 10, 2010, 20:51 »

Also sent to 123RF

Dreamframer · « **Reply #16 on:** March 10, 2010, 20:53 »

Well, I just found one of my images...
Good we have the phone number

maybe we could send him an sms

mantonino · « **Reply #17 on:** March 11, 2010, 22:07 »

Page not loading. Maybe we got em!

FD · « **Reply #18 on:** March 12, 2010, 02:09 »

Quote from: mantonino on March 11, 2010, 22:07

Page not loading. Maybe we got em!

I can still get them easily.

stormchaser · « **Reply #19 on:** March 12, 2010, 02:17 »

The domain is renewed to 12 Mar 2011.

leaf · « **Reply #20 on:** March 12, 2010, 02:54 »

Here is some info on what to do when you find stolen content
http://blog.microstockgroup.com/help-my-image-has-been-stolen-what-next/

Dreamframer · « **Reply #21 on:** March 12, 2010, 03:31 »

Did anyone tried to send an email to this guy? Maybe the email address is real. Do you think I should write him an email?

FD · « **Reply #22 on:** March 12, 2010, 07:21 »

Quote from: Whitechild on March 12, 2010, 03:31

Did anyone tried to send an email to this guy? Maybe the email address is real. Do you think I should write him an email?

Are you prepared to search and pay a lawyer in Bulgaria?

cclapper · « **Reply #23 on:** March 12, 2010, 08:09 »

I think you should email the person too. Give them a chance to comply. Then I think you should report it to the ISP, your microstock agency, and anyone else who cares. I didn't see any of my images, or any of my creative networks, so I don't think it would be useful for me to jump in but there must be other people's on there as well and you could email/sitemail them and let them know too (if you know who they are).

I don't think the answer is to just give up. I know it's a daunting task and as soon as one is gone, 10 more will pop up (kind of like drug dealers) but if you're going to sell to make a profit, I think it's something you should just do. Like painting out the graffiti on the side of your business building. You know it's coming back, but you have to show the bast*rds that somebody is watching.