I am not on Shutterstock but where I work we buy from them all the time. A colleague has just noticed that this image
https://www.shutterstock.com/image-vector/bright-food-card-donuts-pink-glaze-704282905
is stolen and vectorised from this original
https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/various-decorated-doughnuts-motion-falling-on-617134883

Do Shutterstock do anything if I report it?

I had an impression that SS only take complaints from the authors of infringed images. It's understandable. What if there is a permission to use that photo? But you can always inform the original photographer if a contact info is available.

Quote from: tigershoot on January 04, 2018, 07:38

I am not on Shutterstock but where I work we buy from them all the time. A colleague has just noticed that this image
https://www.shutterstock.com/image-vector/bright-food-card-donuts-pink-glaze-704282905
is stolen and vectorised from this original
https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/various-decorated-doughnuts-motion-falling-on-617134883

Do Shutterstock do anything if I report it?

I had an impression that SS only take complaints from the authors of infringed images. It's understandable. What if there is a permission to use that photo? But you can always inform the original photographer if a contact info is available.

From SS when I asked: (bold is mine)

"Thanks for writing in about this. The proper way to report this sort of thing is to write to [email protected]. You don't have to be the owner of the content to write a report. "

So we can all stop repeating the factoid that you must be the author to complain at ShutterStock. DMCA and other places may be different. I'd say if any Microstock site comes back and says we must be the author, then they don't care and are deflecting any efforts to protect us.

Sure inform the real author as well, good idea, they can also file a complaint and look for others stolen by the same person, possibly uploaded to other sites. That would be appreciated I'm sure.

I have notified Shutterstock compliance

Quote from: Uncle Pete on January 04, 2018, 10:03

So we can all stop repeating the factoid that you must be the author to complain at ShutterStock. DMCA and other places may be different. I'd say if any Microstock site comes back and says we must be the author, then they don't care and are deflecting any efforts to protect us.

We only say that because Shutterstock keeps telling us that.  Tigershoot, let us know if Shutterstock responds to your report, what they say.

Exactly. The last time I tried to report something, I was told you had to be the content owner, which frankly makes sense. In the end, I don't think it matters much. Doesn't seem like they do much to the thieves one way or the other. Which reminds me, I need to go check on that foundstock fiasco.

Quote from: Hannafate on January 04, 2018, 11:04

Quote from: Uncle Pete on January 04, 2018, 10:03

So we can all stop repeating the factoid that you must be the author to complain at ShutterStock. DMCA and other places may be different. I'd say if any Microstock site comes back and says we must be the author, then they don't care and are deflecting any efforts to protect us.

We only say that because Shutterstock keeps telling us that.  Tigershoot, let us know if Shutterstock responds to your report, what they say.

Exactly. The last time I tried to report something, I was told you had to be the content owner, which frankly makes sense. In the end, I don't think it matters much. Doesn't seem like they do much to the thieves one way or the other. Which reminds me, I need to go check on that foundstock fiasco.

I got the exact reply that Pete did. Maybe the personal answer is different from [email protected] or they don't know what the other department is telling us. My answer came from a different division and after I wrote, the portfolio of the last thief disappeared in hours. I wasn't the one who's pictures were being flipped, copied or altered and uploaded.

Well,

I think SS and the one who stole the photo think if he retrace it and make it vector it will be his own illustration. He's so stupid that he can't even change some colors and shapes.

Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

Quote from: SpaceStockFootage on January 04, 2018, 18:22

Quote from: Uncle Pete on January 04, 2018, 10:03

So we can all stop repeating the factoid that you must be the author to complain at ShutterStock.

Well, being able to send a report to an email address is one thing... whether they'll do anything about it or not, is another. Nobody is saying it's physically impossible to complain to Shutterstock, just that they probably won't do anything if you're not the copyright holder.

I have the ability to insist that Shutterstock give me a refund for my purchases, but I've never made any. So the 'factoid' that I must have bought something to request a refund isn't true either... but it is sound, practical advice.

The last person to post here that his images were being stolen had written to SS and got no response. I wrote to someone else and asked the question, not  [email protected]  and they said, No You Don't Have to be the artist to file a complaint. That's what I wrote that's what they wrote and that's a fact. You are trying to twist this into they will do nothing when the truth, is just a simple statement... you don't have to be the owner to file a complaint. (nothing about whether they will do anything or if compliance will do anything)

People here keep repeating you must be the owner to file a complaint. That's not true. I said nothing about the effectiveness of either or any other filing or complaints or whether they will respond or act.

Pretty simple right?

No, not simple, when some of us have been told by SS the opposite of what you are saying. No offense, but I take the answer that comes straight from the horse's mouth as fact. There is always the possibility that someone at SS doesn't know what they are talking about, but if several people, including you, get different answers, how do YOU know what you were told is a fact?

I will have to look on my computer on Monday to see if I saved anything. I know it has been awhile since I bothered reporting anything, except for this last f o u nd stock fiasco, which directly affected my portfolio. Also, see SpaceStocks previous post. Even if non copyright holders can report, will they actually do anything?

I reported an infringement time ago, for one of my image beeing copycated. They did Nothing.

Quote from: Uncle Pete on January 06, 2018, 16:03

Quote from: cathyslife on January 06, 2018, 15:29

I will have to look on my computer on Monday to see if I saved anything. I know it has been awhile since I bothered reporting anything, except for this last f o u nd stock fiasco, which directly affected my portfolio. Also, see SpaceStocks previous post. Even if non copyright holders can report, will they actually do anything?

Yeah you win, keep posting that only the author can report infringement and when I try to say that's not true you twist my words into, they might not do anything even if anyone can report. That's not that same is it? That's not what I wrote.

I agree that we can report anything and they might not do anything about it, no matter who it is. But clearly you can't admit that anyone can report which is the opposite of the forum messages that people repeat, and I say isn't true because directly from SS admin, not only have I reported and had an account removed, but she wrote back, that yes we are allowed to notify when something illegal is going on.

If compliance says we can't, then apparently I was lucky and have a magic touch? 

Hmm, I didn't realize this was a competition. I am only reporting what I was told directly by SS, not something I just keep repeating because everyone else says so. But no matter, I am bowing out of this conversation, tho not sure why you are getting so upset. 😀

Thanks and who's upset? Will you do anything to distract and divert attention from the actual point? Yes, I'm actually laughing.  Happy you have bowed out, and will let the last word along with the other shoe dropping.  From compliance today, since I took the time to write and ask can we report others images being copied or used then uploaded to Shutterstock. No I don't expect that they try to notify other sites as someone suggested. I'd like that, but don't expect that SS will write DT and DP and... Etc. to say, there's some crook stealing and committing fraud.

Competition? Never crossed my mind, I was aiming for accuracy in information for everyone who reads the forum. Just repeating something that was because someone else said it, is not passing on good information. Simple enough?


Dear Pete,

Thank you for your response. You are allowed to report another contributor's images but please also provide links to the images you believe are original.

Regards,
Jane

In another request before the simple answer I got this reply, and that's when I asked "can we report others images?
Hello,

Thank you for writing in. We take copyright infringement and theft very seriously. In order to investigate further, we request the following information:

1) The Shutterstock image IDs for the images you believe are being misused;
2) The Shutterstock image IDs which you believe are misusing your images; and
3) A description of the specific elements which leads you to believe your images are being misused.

Once we have this information, we can investigate further.

I hardly think any of us would write a complaint without a link but #3 was interesting. Bottom line: show link to copy or use file number, show original file and number, and explain why?

The End! 

Yes there's way too much theft, copying and stealing portions of works. It's rather discouraging and disappointing.