Author Topic: Istock exclusive images in Shutterstock portfolio (Read 9518 times)

everest · « **on:** September 21, 2013, 15:05 »

Hello:

I just noticed that there is in Shutterstock a portfolio with bestseller images from Istock exclusives. Would be great if any of you that is also a contributor of Shutterstock ( I am exclusive to Istock) would contact them about this issue. I don't know if this portfolio is also in other agencies.

The portfolio I am talking about is:

http://www.shutterstock.com/gallery-1686370p1.html

Thank you

gostwyck · « **Reply #1 on:** September 21, 2013, 15:23 »

Those are stolen images from multiple other contributors. The first images were uploaded in mid-June from their ID numbers.

everest · « **Reply #2 on:** September 21, 2013, 15:28 »

Indeed he/she is having a Beautiful Sunday with all the revenue generated with those images :-(

gostwyck · « **Reply #3 on:** September 21, 2013, 15:33 »

SS have been contacted. Just hope that whoever it was never made payout.

I'm surprised in a way that reviewers don't pick up on so many good and diverse images, in so many obviously different styles, being submitted by a brand new contributor. One glance at that port and it was clearly not the work of an individual.

everest · « **Reply #4 on:** September 21, 2013, 15:42 »

Hope he/she doesn't come back with another identity in a few weeks/months. It must be hard to policy this behaviour with the thousands of active contributors nowadays. Thank you for contacting Shutterstock.

oxman · « **Reply #5 on:** September 21, 2013, 16:02 »

Thanks for posting this. I just notified the guy who owns many of those.

Jo Ann Snover · « **Reply #6 on:** September 21, 2013, 18:51 »

@oxman, was it the owner of the beagle and photographer working (silhouette) that you sent site mail to? If not I will send site mail - I think in addition to notifying Shutterstock it helps to have the rights owner get in touch with them too.

It's really lazy that the agencies don't do a quick google image search with brand new contributors with great images to make sure that the ID they were provided with matches the ownership on other sites.

This "genius" flipped a couple of the photos (the beagle and photographer working) in what was submitted to SS, and a search on those leads to one use where a photography course uses these images!

http://www.scoopon.com.au/deals/10023/image#

I suppose they thought - rightly as it turns out - that flipping the image will stop Google image search from finding it...

As far as SS noticing, individual reviewers see just one image at a time, but they have to have the 10 images that the person submitted to get approved. How often do they get such great work in a batch of 10 initial images. Should have raised some red flags, one would think

oxman · « **Reply #7 on:** September 21, 2013, 19:36 »

jo ann -- not that one
the iso pigs and trees. and champaign

he is a close friend of mine and got me into microstock a few years ago

Jo Ann Snover · « **Reply #8 on:** September 22, 2013, 10:39 »

I sent site mail so the photographer can also weigh in - it's always best when the copyright holders fuss directly.

Beppe Grillo · « **Reply #9 on:** September 22, 2013, 11:09 »

Quote from: gostwyck on September 21, 2013, 15:33

[…]
One glance at that port and it was clearly not the work of an individual.

If they were not stolen images, it could be a group of photographers working together, under the same name.
Probably not much sense but still possible

gostwyck · « **Reply #10 on:** September 23, 2013, 13:16 »

Images and portfolio gone. Another one bites the dust ...

oxman · « **Reply #11 on:** September 23, 2013, 13:28 »

They were all stolen. SS shut it down about an hour ago

andy_arden · « **Reply #12 on:** September 23, 2013, 15:31 »

Hello, i am a buyer that decided to buy some icons. After i had found what i was searching for i also searched Google and found similar icons but some are really similar. Here is another one with copied content. Just look at all the icons here http://www.shutterstock.com/portfolio/search.mhtml?gallery_username=zagan&gallery_landing=1&page=1&safesearch=1&sort_method=newest especially the "baby icons" and the others. They are similar to the bestsellers here http://fr.fotolia.com/search?p=202080040 . As a result i haven't bought any of the icon sets.

EmberMike · « **Reply #13 on:** September 23, 2013, 15:36 »

Quote from: oxman on September 23, 2013, 13:28

They were all stolen. SS shut it down about an hour ago

It doesn't take much to shut down an account at SS. Even if only one image in a portfolio is stolen/copied, the account gets shut down. Most likely permanently. They don't reinstate very many accounts anymore. I've heard from folks at SS HQ that they are much more strict about this stuff ever since the company went public.

tickstock · « **Reply #14 on:** September 23, 2013, 15:41 »

andy_arden · « **Reply #15 on:** September 23, 2013, 15:45 »

http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-128081837/stock-vector-basic-baby-icons.html?src=p-151555427-3 this one...and ALL the others.

tickstock · « **Reply #16 on:** September 23, 2013, 15:48 »

andy_arden · « **Reply #17 on:** September 23, 2013, 15:57 »

All the black icons sets here http://www.shutterstock.com/gallery-1160984p1.html are gathered from multiple users and combined. It can be easily verified with Google. I will search on other stock websites, i don't like to buy from thieves. Either one or another.

jry · « **Reply #18 on:** September 24, 2013, 09:05 »

Another account with stolen images: newbielink:http://www.shutterstock.com/gallery-1642544p1.html [nonactive]

tickstock · « **Reply #19 on:** September 24, 2013, 09:23 »

luissantos84 · « **Reply #20 on:** September 24, 2013, 10:08 »

never say never thief, bye bye!

everest · « **Reply #21 on:** September 24, 2013, 10:12 »

Quote from: jry on September 24, 2013, 09:05

Another account with stolen images: http://www.shutterstock.com/gallery-1642544p1.html

I would bet the same person is behind this and that more stolen images might show up under different portfolios. This is really ugly. Shutterstock should be really more active to avoid this embarrasing situations.

Ron · « **Reply #22 on:** September 24, 2013, 10:17 »

Quote from: everest on September 24, 2013, 10:12

Quote from: jry on September 24, 2013, 09:05
Another account with stolen images: http://www.shutterstock.com/gallery-1642544p1.html

I would bet the same person is behind this and that more stolen images might show up under different portfolios. This is really ugly. Shutterstock should be really more active to avoid this embarrasing situations.

No agency cares about thats stuff

ShadySue · « **Reply #23 on:** September 24, 2013, 10:22 »

I noticed a post on Alamy's forum a few days ago that someone had found their Alamy images being flipped and sold elsewhere. They thought that the thief was flipping them to avoid easy detection via GIS.
However, it seems flipped images are being found, as above.

tickstock · « **Reply #24 on:** September 24, 2013, 10:24 »

Sean Locke Photography · « **Reply #25 on:** September 24, 2013, 11:19 »

Quote from: tickstock on September 24, 2013, 09:23

Quote from: jry on September 24, 2013, 09:05
Another account with stolen images: http://www.shutterstock.com/gallery-1642544p1.html

Poor DNY59. And IS didn't even know it was going on: http://www.istockphoto.com/forum_messages.php?threadid=356432&page=1

tickstock · « **Reply #26 on:** September 24, 2013, 11:23 »

gostwyck · « **Reply #27 on:** September 24, 2013, 11:32 »

Quote from: tickstock on September 24, 2013, 11:23

The account that stole the images was created in 2013, it could only be a few days old. Do you expect Stocksy or any other agency to find users on Shutterstock selling stolen work any faster (faster than some undetermined amount of time that those files were up)?

The earliest image was uploaded around 20th May 2013 and the latest around 20th July.

tickstock · « **Reply #28 on:** September 24, 2013, 11:41 »

Sean Locke Photography · « **Reply #29 on:** September 24, 2013, 11:59 »

I meant this thread, not the fact that they were over on SS. Though I guess that can be forgiven

.

tickstock · « **Reply #30 on:** September 25, 2013, 09:00 »

tickstock · « **Reply #31 on:** September 26, 2013, 12:00 »

jry · « **Reply #32 on:** September 26, 2013, 17:52 »

Images are deleted now - try to click through.

tickstock · « **Reply #33 on:** September 26, 2013, 18:30 »

oxman · « **Reply #34 on:** September 26, 2013, 21:51 »

Quote from: jry on September 24, 2013, 09:05

Another account with stolen images: http://www.shutterstock.com/gallery-1642544p1.html

How do find these accounts? What kind of search method? Thanks...

jry · « **Reply #35 on:** September 27, 2013, 01:06 »

Just my curiosity. I saw this thread and did a few searches on Shutterstock. You can recognize your own images even cropped, flipped and color-adjusted.

oxman · « **Reply #36 on:** September 27, 2013, 02:30 »

thanks and VERY much appreciated. I've notified the guy whose images are on those pages and he is very grateful to you. Keep it up... it is very helpful

jry · « **Reply #37 on:** September 27, 2013, 02:43 »

You are welcome

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Author Topic: Istock exclusive images in Shutterstock portfolio (Read 9518 times)

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