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Author Topic: Biggest Rip Off in microstock history! Shocking finds..  (Read 54967 times)

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« Reply #25 on: January 05, 2013, 08:12 »
0
It seems that people are afraid of posting in this thread.
I can understand why.
Who's afraid? I wouldn't see why.
I am very interested to see how the hagiographified SS deals with this, and am concerned that, at the very least, the ports aren't suspended pending investigation.
I suspect the OP might be prevented from fully revealing how the issue is ultimately resolved.

I am still waiting for an answer from them.. I guess the issue is lifted to a higher department.. I am patient but obviously for a reasonable amount of time..


fritz

  • I love Tom and Jerry music

« Reply #26 on: January 05, 2013, 08:45 »
0
What I find weird is that simple people's ports are suspended as soon as someone reports a (false) copyright claim against them, yet this port stays live regardless of massive violations. Simply put, Shutterstock is full of sh!t when they say they take copyright violations seriously. They only take it serious when it doesnt hurt them.
True!

« Reply #27 on: January 05, 2013, 08:47 »
0
I suggest you make a homepage with links to the violating ports on the different sites.
Details such as number of files and online time will be important.

+ a call for copyright owners and a contact adress where the copyright owners can contact you.
I think the settlement will be based on how long the fraud files has been online, if not directly on the income made from them.
The copyright owners and the agency might want to form an alliance.

« Reply #28 on: January 05, 2013, 10:50 »
+2

aspp

« Reply #29 on: January 05, 2013, 11:34 »
0
I suggest you make a homepage etc

Why should he have to do any of that? He has contacted Shutterstock and they need to deal with it.

Unless they offer him a very significant amount of money he might be wise to refuse to retrospectively sign off these purchases. If he doesn't they are going to have to contact all of their clients who who have used these images in order to tell them to un-use them. Which will cost them.

He should be tough with SS because this sort of nonsense on the part of the agencies plays into the hands of people who have long argued that buying RF stock, and especially from un curated collections which undercut sustainable rates is inherently risky.
« Last Edit: January 05, 2013, 11:37 by aspp »

« Reply #30 on: January 05, 2013, 12:46 »
+1
El pueblo unido jamais sera vencido

« Reply #31 on: January 05, 2013, 14:27 »
+1
El pueblo unido jamais sera vencido

Translation from wiki: "The people united will never be defeated"

« Last Edit: January 05, 2013, 18:54 by cidepix »

Pinocchio

« Reply #33 on: January 06, 2013, 12:25 »
0
I don't know if the folk here know this, but Firefox has a handy feature that might be very useful in situations like this.  First, navigate to the page you're interested in, then select File-> Save Page As from the Firefox menu; follow the Firefox dialog to create a new directory, then save.  You get the whole page, HTML and all.

IP lawyers often recommend taking screenshots of offending material; this is a way to capture the whole page in situations like that.

Regards
edit: changed "site" to "page"
« Last Edit: January 06, 2013, 12:47 by Pinocchio »

« Reply #34 on: January 06, 2013, 12:46 »
0
What's interesting is that I see nothing about it on the SS forums. Perhaps I missed it but you'd think that someone would make a stink over there about intellectual thievery. 

Microbius

« Reply #35 on: January 07, 2013, 04:36 »
+1
I also think the Santa sled one and your logos are a blatant copies. Also agree that the gorilla seems to use that photo. Not too sure about the angel and devil one, seems to be the same concept but not using the same file.

I believe they are a studio based out of Romania, so maybe there is one person in the team who is infringing? To be honest most of the stuff in the portfolio looks to be original?

On Vectorious dot net they say inkydeals dot com is also one of their "sister sites" and you can see the team there in the about page. I am guessing it is the same people.




« Reply #36 on: January 07, 2013, 05:22 »
0
I also think the Santa sled one and your logos are a blatant copies. Also agree that the gorilla seems to use that photo. Not too sure about the angel and devil one, seems to be the same concept but not using the same file.

I believe they are a studio based out of Romania, so maybe there is one person in the team who is infringing? To be honest most of the stuff in the portfolio looks to be original?

On Vectorious dot net they say inkydeals dot com is also one of their "sister sites" and you can see the team there in the about page. I am guessing it is the same people.

I agree with you.. I have the same feeling.. I don't want the port to be taken down IF %99 of it, is original.. to be honest, I searched for many of the vectors and couldn't find much.. If they are a team, and one of them is an infringer, he needs to be punished though..

If this is vectorious team submitting to SS officially, they need to make sure to weed out the infringer(s)..

2 images in my OP are definitely copies, no one can deny that.. I believe that SS is not mad to keep those copies online..
« Last Edit: January 07, 2013, 05:31 by cidepix »

ShadySue

  • There is a crack in everything
« Reply #37 on: January 07, 2013, 07:06 »
+1
We're read here of people having their ports closed because of one or two infringing files before, why not this one?

Microbius

« Reply #38 on: January 07, 2013, 07:09 »
0
I am not sure what the best thing to do would be. Looking at that "about" page they seem to have art directors and the like so as a studio they should have caught the infringements/ know about them.

Then again, if it is a company account would shutting them down because of one or two files out of 20000 be like shutting down all of Shutterstock because some a**hole sneaks in some stolen content into the library?

I honestly don't know where to come down on it.

ETA of course if it was an individual's account, you know who the thief is so can shut it down right away.

Maybe they could take down the offending material and suspend the portfolio with a notification to the studio that they need to go through and scrub it of anything even possibly dodgy. Let them know that they have a zero tolerance attitude to the account from then on. One more infringement and a complete termination of account.
« Last Edit: January 07, 2013, 07:13 by Microbius »

Microbius

« Reply #39 on: January 07, 2013, 07:15 »
0
I guess I feel it is a bit less clear cut in this case, especially considering some of the content that is out there still on the big sites that is clearly infringing in the worst way.

« Reply #40 on: January 07, 2013, 08:09 »
0
We're read here of people having their ports closed because of one or two infringing files before, why not this one?


I think microbius has a good point in his post after yours..

If they determine this is a "one person show", then shut him down for sure..

IF it's a company hiring illustrators to create content to be submitted, this really is more complicated.. It is possible that they genuinely thought someone is creating original content for them..

but again, you are right I think, because whoever they are, it is their job to make sure all the content they submit is original, if not they should be shut down.. Why should we care for their carelessness..

btw, here is the fotolia port: http://us.fotolia.com/p/263976

« Reply #41 on: January 07, 2013, 13:10 »
0
its no longer available (talking about his SS portfolio)

« Reply #42 on: January 07, 2013, 14:12 »
+3
its no longer available (talking about his SS portfolio)

The eagle-eyes of MSG contributors have foiled another thief!

"... and I would have gotten away with it, too, if it hadn't been for you meddling kids!"

« Reply #43 on: January 07, 2013, 14:16 »
+2
I wonder how that account was run.  If it was a group or a hired bunch of illustrators working together?  It would be very depressing if one bad apple illustrator ruined it for a group or team of illustrators. 

« Reply #44 on: January 07, 2013, 14:28 »
+2
I wonder how that account was run.  If it was a group or a hired bunch of illustrators working together?  It would be very depressing if one bad apple illustrator ruined it for a group or team of illustrators.

I agree, but, at the same time, you have to be careful about who you hire. I've never hired anyone to help me create my illustrations, but I was thinking about it at one time. My thought was to hire people not to create original designs, but to have contractors create illustrations from my own sketches. That way, you don't have to worry about them taking designs from somewhere else or having any claim to the design's copyright. Just my two cents.

« Reply #45 on: January 07, 2013, 14:47 »
0
I don't feel bad about he or she or them, they made more than enough with other work, hope they have saved some, anyway they will come back...

« Reply #46 on: January 07, 2013, 14:59 »
+2
Just to spice things up..

It was shocking what I was told in my email correspondence with signelements..

They said they were going to remove the 2 images because they were similar, but they believed there was no copyright infringement or blatant copying here, rather they labeled it as merely a coincidence  ;D

They are either blind or they think I am naive instead of nice.. coincidence? this? 5 coincidences occuring all at once? I understand one coincidence per image, but this? come on!

« Last Edit: January 07, 2013, 15:02 by cidepix »

Poncke

« Reply #47 on: January 07, 2013, 15:03 »
+1
If they consider that a coincident then they are a disgrace

« Reply #48 on: January 07, 2013, 15:08 »
+2
If they consider that a coincident then they are a disgrace

seriously, I urge anyone to stay away from signelements.. it's unbelievable..

do you really want to be represented by this kind of mentality?

« Reply #49 on: January 07, 2013, 15:23 »
0
If they consider that a coincident then they are a disgrace

seriously, I urge anyone to stay away from signelements.. it's unbelievable..

do you really want to be represented by this kind of mentality?

I believe they will have other attitude after knowing that SS took his portfolio away...


 

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