Yes you noticed right. It's stripped and when sold or licensed, it's not there. Yes this has been an issue for quite some time.

I think it's wrong but I can also understand the agency doesn't want us to go direct by being identified to a source who could contact us. It's a complicated question. One would think the Copyright would be left intact and have our names credited not "Agency Name" and we become anonymous.

Heard Google Drive is really good at removing all that information 

Maybe it's me, but I JUST realized that the metadata for my images is GONE once uploaded to the agencies..apparently at all of them.  Did I miss the small print? 

This new wonderful knowledge came about because of the ALSO NEW TO ME way of finding where my work ends up, namely by uploading an image to   images.google.com    Now don't run off and start finding your work yet, I've more to say.    What I discovered in doing that OF COURSE is the number of people ripping me off by using the images with the watermark.  So I thought to myself, no * way to combat that...but at least my work is out there and someone can check the metadata for just who the creative genius is.  No such luck...because THERE IS NO metadata.

Just one more thing to rant about and realize what a stupid sucky game this is.  A real barrel of laughs.

My experience with both my own images and those of others is not as consistent as your experience seems to be.  I have found Alamy images in use (someone else's) that still had the copyright and some other metadata intact.  With my own images, I've found some with part of the original metadata I added, as well as some with ALL metadata stripped.  These findings lead me to believe that it's much more likely that the stripping occurred after licensing rather than at upload, but I must stress this is me speculating, not established fact.

In my experience, Google Image search is the best tool for finding images; I find it far better than TinEye.  I have been very surprised at what Google has found, especially given some of the alterations that have been made to images in the course of being used.  Some diligent searching with Google will find a lot, but not all of your images in use.

Can you tell us which agencies are involved?

If you have the source RAW files or some other way of proving ownership such as registration with the US ECO, it might be worth your while to take a look at Image Rights, if not for current violations, then possibly for the future.  There has been some very positive commentary on Image Rights at Alamy.  If you feel it's worth pursuing the infringements, especially when the images in use are watermarked, you might find some of the threads on Alamy useful.

I really think your first step should be to read what Image Rights have to say on their web site (legal firm based in Boston).  Carolyn Wright, publisher of www.PhotoAttorney.com has a step by step guide to dealing with infringements - no registration required.

Regards

I haven't registered images with the US since I was with The Image Bank about 2,000 years ago before they were bought by Getty. Anyway, typically, I find these forums informative and interesting.  Also, the vast majority of people asking/answering questions are well-meaning and  decent despite the enormity of the uphill struggle.  Actually, it's a sideways struggle.  I have zero intention of registering my recent work.  The hoops you'd need to jump through to defend a position in a court of law is simply not worth the trouble.  My "discovery" of the images.google site yesterday manifest such a wide-ranging "lifting" of my stuff for free use (blogs, etc) that I'd be nuts to waste my time.  The ONLY managerial way to handle to things is a class-action suit brought by EVERYONE against ALL the big guns.  BTW, I think you asked which agencies removed my metadata.  Try every one I checked...iS, SS, A, DT, P5...on and on.  I do okay as is, it's just frustrating that the balance of power is so skewed...but that frustration comes and goes...only hurts when I think about it, which happened yesterday and will stop soon enough.  Thanks for the comments.