MicrostockGroup
Microstock Photography Forum - General => Image Sleuth => Topic started by: kates on June 13, 2016, 05:20
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Hello, probably we all have copyright related issues. I can't stand people to steal images, resell them and make money! I guess any of us can't. There are 2 different sites/people I just noticed. Here are the details:
Fist one is a Turkish site bionluk.com This is a site which people join and sell different services for 10 Turkish Lira (approximately 3.4 US Dollars) I'm ok with that. However there are many people who sells images from SHUTTERSTOCK. They have subscription pack. Download images for few cents and resell them for 3.4$! There are hundreds of buyers from these people! Few months ago I noticed this and wrote to customer services of bionluk.com. At first, they claimed their members can do that since they claim they have extended license! After that I explained what is extended licence for and send them contract links. They removed those offers. However today I checked again and someone else started to do that again. Here is the link: https://bionluk.com/sabahtan_kalma/sectiginiz-shutterstock-resmini-vektor-yada-yuksek-cozunurluklu-verebilirim-15211 (https://bionluk.com/sabahtan_kalma/sectiginiz-shutterstock-resmini-vektor-yada-yuksek-cozunurluklu-verebilirim-15211) He basically say that "I sell you any images from shutterstock for 10TL instead of 49$." This time I didnt write anyone but directly post here so everyone can see this before it was removed.
And the second part is inside us! A member of istockphoto steals other images from many agencies (mostly from shutterstock and istock) flips them over, uploads, sells and makes money! He is member since December 2015 and has more than 200 files with hundreds of downloads! (just arrange his portfolio as most popular, click to first 5 images and check their downloads rather then the downloads number in his profile page) Here are few examples with links(First link is stolen and second link is original I think!:
http://www.istockphoto.com/tr/photo/splashes-of-milk-with-banana-gm516446594-89001583?st=5a5bc90 (http://www.istockphoto.com/tr/photo/splashes-of-milk-with-banana-gm516446594-89001583?st=5a5bc90)
http://www.istockphoto.com/tr/photo/banana-milkshake-gm178037268-24430725?st=c3e1429 (http://www.istockphoto.com/tr/photo/banana-milkshake-gm178037268-24430725?st=c3e1429)
http://www.istockphoto.com/tr/photo/glass-of-beer-on-the-bar-gm510874426-86441593?st=5a5bc90 (http://www.istockphoto.com/tr/photo/glass-of-beer-on-the-bar-gm510874426-86441593?st=5a5bc90)
http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-120711982/stock-photo-glass-of-light-beer-on-a-dark-pub.html?src=30WDtg6uRovRCSqUrc7-4A-1-2 (http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-120711982/stock-photo-glass-of-light-beer-on-a-dark-pub.html?src=30WDtg6uRovRCSqUrc7-4A-1-2)
http://www.istockphoto.com/tr/photo/wine-variety-white-pink-red-gm510692670-86362283?st=5a5bc90 (http://www.istockphoto.com/tr/photo/wine-variety-white-pink-red-gm510692670-86362283?st=5a5bc90)
http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-124991405/stock-photo-red-white-and-rose-wine-glasses-up.html?src=QkAOpX8uRhb58VdJJNGIQg-1-0 (http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-124991405/stock-photo-red-white-and-rose-wine-glasses-up.html?src=QkAOpX8uRhb58VdJJNGIQg-1-0)
http://www.istockphoto.com/tr/photo/brown-coffee-and-beans-gm509684748-85917091?st=5a5bc90 (http://www.istockphoto.com/tr/photo/brown-coffee-and-beans-gm509684748-85917091?st=5a5bc90)
http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-261745823/stock-photo-coffee-cup-and-coffee-beans-on-table.html?src=cN372MZNGUaeHsMhIsQa6g-1-4 (http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-261745823/stock-photo-coffee-cup-and-coffee-beans-on-table.html?src=cN372MZNGUaeHsMhIsQa6g-1-4)
http://www.istockphoto.com/tr/photo/green-juice-and-green-fruit-gm509178764-85630503?st=5a5bc90 (http://www.istockphoto.com/tr/photo/green-juice-and-green-fruit-gm509178764-85630503?st=5a5bc90)
http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-174456902/stock-photo-green-smoothie-with-apples-parsley-spinach-cucumber-lime-and-min.html?src=KWp_Hq4ugu_yDoXnqWYt-g-1-8 (http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-174456902/stock-photo-green-smoothie-with-apples-parsley-spinach-cucumber-lime-and-min.html?src=KWp_Hq4ugu_yDoXnqWYt-g-1-8)
I guess these are enough. I picked few images from his gallery and searched them again by using same tags and most popular filter. It wasn't hard to find the original files!
I didnt write to istock, shutterstock or bionluk. I want everybody to see these thieves and notice the danger!
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Why didn't you write to SS and iStock. These people should be put in prison. We all should write to these agencies.
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Why didn't you write to SS and iStock. These people should be put in prison. We all should write to these agencies.
For two reasons: First I want you all to see before they were being removed, second istockphoto takes too much time to reply and since Im in Turkey I cant call them (its really expensive to make international calls here and I dont have a landline to call toll free number) I guess many people will call and or write them however many more people will be able to see these thieves for 1 or 2 days. I take stock photos for 6 years and I always called/write these kind of situations. So what happened? Nothing! They just block accounts! This time I tried different method...
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IS tend only to respond to contacts from the actual infringed person, at least that's what I found when I reported a mass infringer who was passing off iS pics (but none of mine) on Flickr as CC.
However, they have taken action against their own infringers reported here, but you probably have to put iStock infringer or some such in the title so that they can see it.
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Is there nothing the microstock group can do? I am new. According to me this is a crime and only closing an account won't do.
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The IStock guy will be gone in a flash. One thing IS are good at is covering their back legally by getting rid of these clowns. Just mail some of the photographers they have infringed and they will get him shut down.
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The IStock guy will be gone in a flash. One thing IS are good at is covering their back legally by getting rid of these clowns. Just mail some of the photographers they have infringed and they will get him shut down.
Right. Seeing it here should get some kind of resolution. IS does snoop here, which I in fact think is good.
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IS tend only to respond to contacts from the actual infringed person, at least that's what I found when I reported a mass infringer who was passing off iS pics (but none of mine) on Flickr as CC.
However, they have taken action against their own infringers reported here, but you probably have to put iStock infringer or some such in the title so that they can see it.
And from experience if you are not exclusive with iS they won't take action.
edit:
Just found one of my images in his port and reported it.
Thanks for the heads up.
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Just got a reply from iStock:
"Thanks for contacting us.
Please know that we take this matter seriously and will investigate and handle accordingly.
We appreciate you taking the time to send this our way.
Regards,
iStock"
It appears they have shut him down.