So, if you have an amazon account, you might want to drop them a line, because if you've taken any kind of landscape photography in the past, there's a good chance your images might be in this "authors books". Feel free to cut & paste the content below if you wish...

He (collectively) seems to have about 1500+ "amazon books" across all of his pen names/accounts... simply takes about 40 landscape photos from "free sites" like pexels/unsplash/pixabay, as well as it appears paid sites like adobe + shutterstock, and then puts it in a "book". Part of the "get-rich-quick" scheme going on for KDP publishing. (While you can get rich quick from good content, and putting together excellent books, and doing things honestly and ethically - this is not the right way. It is incredibly dishonest & deceptive).

While pexels/unsplash/etc do permit "free" commercial use for products/services, they explicitly state that derivative works must be significantly different than simply repackaging content, as well as not trying to pass other people's work off as his own... which, of course his violating both...

These are the account names with publications (aka landscape "books", seems to either be an east indian or arabic name, not sure):
(645 publications) - HMZ MASHA: https://www.amazon.ca/s?i=stripbooks&rh=p_27%3AHMZ+MASHA
(181 publications) - Hamza Almashaqbeh https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0C4W7FN49/
(248 publications) - ALMASH SABA https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0CK4VWCPS/
(268 publications) - "Taylor Reevis": https://www.amazon.ca/Taylor-Reevis/e/B0B4GHMXQF/
(251 publications) - Lamar Mayar: https://www.amazon.com/stores/LAMAR-MAYAR/author/B0CK4SHFD1/
(seems only 1 active at the moment) Emma Mirwid: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0BX147TQ7/

Basically, if you look @ the preview page of the book (i.e., look inside of the book preview) - you'll find the images that he passes of as his own for "his books", are actually compilation from all sorts of different photographers, without any kind of attribution whatsoever, nor any modification other then slapping them altogether, from those different sites I mentioned. A number of images also seem to come from adobestock/shutterstock too when you scroll down to other pictures.

And as I said, while unsplash/pexels/etc do allow "free commercial use" - they explicitly forbid the type of activity he is engaging it.

a) I.e., for unsplash  - it explicitly states in section 8(g) that derivative works must be 'first significantly or meaningfully' updated.
It explicity states against "simple retouches, resizing, or other minimal changes". The content in this individuals books simply seems to be cut & paste copies
of other people's images, which of course is not a significant change. The Unsplash license is located here: https://unsplash.com/terms

b) For pixabay/pexels, while Pixabay.com does permit commercial use as well, in section (4) it explicitly states again using content in misleading or deceptive ways, specifically: "by giving the impression that Content was created by you, or a person other than the intellectual property rights holder of the Content (including without limitation, by claiming or giving the impression that you hold ownership of, or exclusive rights to, the Content)." No attribution appears to be present in any of the publications, thereby violating these terms as well. The terms are available here: https://pixabay.com/service/terms/, as well as here https://www.pexels.com/terms-of-service/.

c) And then of course - adobe/shutterstock don't permit unlicensed use.

Here are some of his sample "books", with the corresponding unsplash/pexel/adobe/shutterstock/etc pictures. You can pretty much pick anyone of his "books", and find a corresponding image on one of those sites.

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Sample "HMZ MASHA" publications (645 publications):

Publication: https://www.amazon.ca/Stavanger-NORWAY-Mind-Blowing-Photography-Paperback-July/dp/B0C9S9CGVS/
Photographer Victro Malyushev -> Sample Source Image: https://unsplash.com/photos/white-and-yellow-houses-SjAxwFjQyck

Publication: https://www.amazon.ca/BRITISH-COLUMBIA-Photography-Tourists-Attractions/dp/B0C2S71C99/
Photographer Andrew Darlington -> Sample Source Image: https://unsplash.com/photos/a-lake-surrounded-by-trees-and-mountains-R8fc76MvD4c

Publication: https://www.amazon.ca/YORKSHIRE-ENGLAND-Photography-Tourists-Attractions/dp/B0C5YZLT96/ref=sr_1_11
Photographer Samuel Girven -> Source Image: https://unsplash.com/photos/gray-rocky-mountain-during-daytime-QNhK70HEL6w

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Sample "Taylor Reevis" publications (268 publications):
Publication: https://www.amazon.ca/Calabria-Beautiful-Photography-Meditation-Collection/dp/B0B5KXB7R2
Photographer: Walkerssk: https://pixabay.com/photos/scilla-calabria-italy-1185547/
Photographer: Valtercirillo: https://pixabay.com/photos/san-nicola-arcella-sea-calabria-1979085/

Publication: https://www.amazon.ca/Newfoundland-Canada-Photography-Coffee-Table/dp/B0BPGGF5M6
Photographer: Ritche Perez -> https://www.pexels.com/photo/assorted-color-buildings-near-body-of-water-58691/

Publication: https://www.amazon.ca/Iguazu-Falls-Photography-Meditation-Landscapes/dp/B0B3S26Z12
Photographer: Thomaslkiefer -> https://pixabay.com/photos/iguazu-water-falls-flow-1839165/

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Sample "Hamza Almashaqbeh" publication (181 publications)

Publication: https://www.amazon.com/ITALY-Photography-Coffee-Tourists-Attractions/dp/B0BZF78S6X
Photographer: Rory Hennessey -> https://unsplash.com/photos/a-city-with-a-crane-V08FBNIWShw

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Sample ALMASH SABA (248 publications)

Publication: https://www.amazon.com/ISLE-SKYE-Mind-Blowing-Tour-SCOTLAND/dp/B0CN3DH5MB/
Photographer: Jack White -> https://unsplash.com/photos/a-high-angle-view-of-a-river-EYRjEAr5mgI

Publication: https://www.amazon.com/most-beautiful-churches-world-Buildings/dp/B0CSTGNYVN/
Photographer: Dimitrisvetsikas1969: https://pixabay.com/photos/russian-church-dome-golden-5504400/

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Lamar Mayar (251 publications): 
Publication: https://www.amazon.com/HEIDELBERG-Mind-Blowing-Tour-GERMANY/dp/B0CL6BPTHK/
Photographer: Leonhard Niederwimmer -> https://unsplash.com/photos/a-city-with-a-castle-on-top-of-a-hill-OrEprg4nJAI
Photographer: Gaertringen -> https://pixabay.com/photos/heidelberg-bridge-germany-river-274220/

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Doing things honestly I think is fine, but the way he is doing it (deceptive/dishonest) is very wrong.

If you have an amazon account, I might drop them a line and let them know, because he is simply repackaging other people's content & passing it off as his own to "get rich quick" is wrong, and there is probably a good chance some of your work might be in one of his "books".

You can send a message through amazon, either their online form (support), or any book listing. If you want to send additional info (i.e., you find specific books of yours that have material), you can also send a message here [email protected]. Unsplash's support e-mail is [email protected]. Sometimes it takes a couple messages from different people to get rid of garbage like this.

I wasn't actually trying and I found this one. All stolen and they don't understand what the images are.  https://www.amazon.ca/s?i=stripbooks&rh=p_27%3AColor+Me%21

Sorry - that just returned a listing of different types of books - did you have a specific book you found?

Nothing was stolen here. The images from free websites may be used for books.

You are mistaken. Read the licenses that users agreed to when submitting content.

While 'general' commercial use is permitted - the licenses specifically state it's not simply to be repackaged and resold how he is doing it. So yes, in this context, the images were stolen.

If you look at the actual "books" as well - in spite of him essentially ripping off other people's HIGH QUALITY images and passing them off as his own - he still manages to put the 'books' in the crappiest format possible - doing the bare minimum to push the crap out. The content is incredibly slipshod/poor quality, happens to be a lazy, greedy person trying to milk other people's work for as much as he can.

Quote from: Uncle Pete on January 22, 2024, 12:34

I wasn't actually trying and I found this one. All stolen and they don't understand what the images are.  https://www.amazon.ca/s?i=stripbooks&rh=p_27%3AColor+Me%21

Sorry - that just returned a listing of different types of books - did you have a specific book you found?

COLOR ME with various names and extensions, that are the same system, same "artist". Copy outline images, make a collection paperback of those images. The variations are the same name over and over, with a minor change.

They are all COLOR ME and the NASCAR book isn't NASCAR, it's someone who just collected a bunch of car line drawings, and called it that. The cover is backwards and they are sports cars.