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Microstock Photography Forum - General => Image Sleuth => Topic started by: Alfred on September 13, 2017, 11:08

Title: Is this a copyright infringement?
Post by: Alfred on September 13, 2017, 11:08
Hi,
I have a question:

Is copyright infringement a use of my image as a basis for a new image?

My image (vector) from 2012:
 
https://www.shutterstock.com/image-vector/london-skyline-grunge-style-102936080 (https://www.shutterstock.com/image-vector/london-skyline-grunge-style-102936080)

Images from another author, now in 2017:

https://www.shutterstock.com/image-illustration/london-art-watercolor-print-skyline-united-707634016 (https://www.shutterstock.com/image-illustration/london-art-watercolor-print-skyline-united-707634016)
https://www.shutterstock.com/image-illustration/london-art-watercolor-print-skyline-united-707634040 (https://www.shutterstock.com/image-illustration/london-art-watercolor-print-skyline-united-707634040)
https://www.shutterstock.com/image-illustration/london-art-watercolor-print-skyline-united-707633926 (https://www.shutterstock.com/image-illustration/london-art-watercolor-print-skyline-united-707633926)

...and more

Perfect similarity is not at all accidental, but only an outline is used.
Is this a copyright infringement?


Thanks
Title: Re: Is this a copyright infringement?
Post by: Minsc on September 13, 2017, 11:23
Yes. It is.

I wonder why someone with 4600 images would want to risk getting their entire portfolio taken down.
Title: Re: Is this a copyright infringement?
Post by: Jo Ann Snover on September 13, 2017, 16:24
Yes it is. And this thief has done the same thing with another artist's vector of Las Vegas as he/she did with your skyline:

https://www.shutterstock.com/image-illustration/watercolor-art-print-skyline-las-vegas-707634022 (https://www.shutterstock.com/image-illustration/watercolor-art-print-skyline-las-vegas-707634022)
https://www.shutterstock.com/image-vector/las-vegas-nevada-skyline-detailed-vector-97812845 (https://www.shutterstock.com/image-vector/las-vegas-nevada-skyline-detailed-vector-97812845)

Shutterstock should be ashamed of themselves for letting this sort of thing through (I'm sure they don't care) but please do report it and tell them it needs to be removed.

Does anyone know Yuri Konovalov (the Las Vegas skyline contributor)? His portfolio's everywhere, but I couldn't find any contact info.
Title: Re: Is this a copyright infringement?
Post by: microtalk on September 13, 2017, 16:50
Yes,

100% copyright infringement , no talk possible on that
Report this user to Shutterstock ;)

Title: Re: Is this a copyright infringement?
Post by: Chichikov on September 13, 2017, 23:14
Yes it is. And this thief has done the same thing with another artist's vector of Las Vegas as he/she did with your skyline:

https://www.shutterstock.com/image-illustration/watercolor-art-print-skyline-las-vegas-707634022 (https://www.shutterstock.com/image-illustration/watercolor-art-print-skyline-las-vegas-707634022)
https://www.shutterstock.com/image-vector/las-vegas-nevada-skyline-detailed-vector-97812845 (https://www.shutterstock.com/image-vector/las-vegas-nevada-skyline-detailed-vector-97812845)

Shutterstock should be ashamed of themselves for letting this sort of thing through (I'm sure they don't care) but please do report it and tell them it needs to be removed.

Does anyone know Yuri Konovalov (the Las Vegas skyline contributor)? His portfolio's everywhere, but I couldn't find any contact info.

I have found and written him.
Title: Re: Is this a copyright infringement?
Post by: Justanotherphotographer on September 14, 2017, 00:47
Yes. It is.

I wonder why someone with 4600 images would want to risk getting their entire portfolio taken down.
To be fair it is 4600 snapshots pretty much. The most saleable stuff in their is the stuff he's pinched from other people.
Title: Re: Is this a copyright infringement?
Post by: unnonimus on September 14, 2017, 01:22
in the US it would probably fall under fair use because it is a new creative work that is derived from an existing work.

"Fair use is a doctrine originating in the law of the United States that permits limited use of copyrighted material without having to first acquire permission from the copyright holder"

Only a court of law can determine if a work falls under Fair Use.

However, Royalty Free licenses on most stock sites usually do not permit you to modify someone else's work and resell it.

It will not be copyright infringement, but it will be an infringement of the Royalty Free license they probably purchased it under.
Title: Re: Is this a copyright infringement?
Post by: Minsc on September 14, 2017, 01:24
To be fair it is 4600 snapshots pretty much. The most saleable stuff in their is the stuff he's pinched from other people.

True, but it's still a lot of work to upload all that stuff and get it approved. There are some good looking landscape and wildlife photos in there.
Title: Re: Is this a copyright infringement?
Post by: Alfred on September 14, 2017, 01:46
Okay. Thanks to all. I write to SS support and also contact Yuri Konovalov. It looks like he used more vector panoramas.
Title: Re: Is this a copyright infringement?
Post by: memakephoto on September 14, 2017, 08:25
in the US it would probably fall under fair use because it is a new creative work that is derived from an existing work.

"Fair use is a doctrine originating in the law of the United States that permits limited use of copyrighted material without having to first acquire permission from the copyright holder"

Only a court of law can determine if a work falls under Fair Use.

However, Royalty Free licenses on most stock sites usually do not permit you to modify someone else's work and resell it.

It will not be copyright infringement, but it will be an infringement of the Royalty Free license they probably purchased it under.

You copied that quote from wikipedia. Try using a source from an accredited intellectual property expert.

Fair use is for LIMITED and transformative use for the purpose of comment, critique or parody. This really isn't transformative and you can certainly NOT resell it as a stand alone product. It is copyright infringement.
Title: Re: Is this a copyright infringement?
Post by: increasingdifficulty on September 14, 2017, 08:40
in the US it would probably fall under fair use because it is a new creative work that is derived from an existing work.

Not a chance.