Quote from: Shelma1 on February 12, 2016, 15:03

Quote from: Freepik on February 12, 2016, 08:28
We are trying to explain things with transparency and sincerity, but some words are misinterpreted. The phrase about lawyers referred to specific allegations that a user of the forum has made ​​falsely (we have been accused of copies even in cases where the authors had uploaded them to Freepik).

But we are here to talk with you. We just wanted to personally respond to comments, to meet you, to know how could we collaborate. We have addressed all claims of this user, we have offered her to talk via Hangout or Skype, etc.

Yes, and you sent me a PM requesting I go through your entire website and send you an email detailing all the work of mine you copied. When I told you how much I'd charge for my time to do that you didn't respond. Quelle surprise.

Shelma, we are waiting for your email. We are putting all our resources at your disposal. Please, send us an email with all cases of plagiarism of your work that you saw in Freepik.

We are ensuring you that we will take action, we will investigate everything and we will do whatever it takes. But we need your collaboration.

Quote from: Justanotherphotographer on February 12, 2016, 14:13
Here's  a direct question. If you were a search engine how did you justify asking users to attribute work to you?

When we index content, we don't ask attribution to Freepik. You can read this notice in all indexed images:

"This image is provided by a third party, not by Freepik.com

- Freepik.com neither selects nor examines, controls, guarantees, approves or sponsors this image.
- This image is provided under the terms and conditions applied by the relevant third party.
Before downloading the image, you must read such terms and conditions and make sure that they are consistent with your intended use of the image. You are solely responsible for complying with any third party terms and conditions."

Quote from: sharpshot on February 12, 2016, 10:12
Freepik, please answer my questions.  Why should it be up to us to find the images that are being downloaded thousands of times without the copyright holders consent?  By the time these images are found, the person that originally made that image might of already lost a substantial amount of earnings.  Please tell us how you are going to go through all your images, identify all the ones that are being used without consent and fully compensate the copyright holder.  Then there's the problem with your designers making images that are very similar to other people's work instead of doing their own work.  How do you justify that?  Why would any sensible person here want to collaborate with a site that is doing that?

I'm answering you, sharpshot:

We make an exhaustive analysis of the resources created exclusively for us. It isn't your labor, but ours. We do it, but it's inevitable that some go unnoticed. This not only happens in Freepik but in all image banks. We are victims of copy in many occasions.

At the moment the the plagiarism is detected, we delete the content immediately. The affected author can contact us ([email protected] or [email protected]). We deeply investigate the case and compensate the author if necessary.

We don't order similar designs, and if there is any plagiarism is because we have been deceived for the designer.

Hi,

We are trying to explain things with transparency and sincerity. We are here to talk with you. We just wanted to personally respond to comments, to meet you, to know how could we collaborate. We have addressed all claims of users, we have offered you to talk via Hangout or Skype, etc.

Shelma, as our Social Media team told you, we are checking all of the designs that you are demading. Please, it would be easier for both of us if we could have a conversation by email ([email protected]), Skype or Hangout.

We are trying to explain things with transparency and sincerity, but some words are misinterpreted. The phrase about lawyers referred to specific allegations that a user of the forum has made ​​falsely (we have been accused of copies even in cases where the authors had uploaded them to Freepik).

But we are here to talk with you. We just wanted to personally respond to comments, to meet you, to know how could we collaborate. We have addressed all claims of this user, we have offered her to talk via Hangout or Skype, etc.

Quote from: Shelma1 on February 07, 2016, 13:43
Vector

Shutterstock: http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-121913818/stock-vector-vector-illustration-of-a-single-detailed-security-camera-icon-isolated-on-soft-background.html?src=RqtuFZtSjYbeWG_gUfp4pg-1-33

Freepik: http://www.freepik.com/free-vector/realistic-camera-lens_789214.htm#term=photo&page=3&position=36

Photo

Creative Market: https://creativemarket.com/Bells/44448-Remember-when-film-was-developed

FreePik: http://www.freepik.com/free-photo/cartoon-stickers_758481.htm#term=photo&page=6&position=6

Shelma, the author of this image (http://www.freepik.com/free-vector/realistic-camera-lens_789214.htm) is contributor of Freepik, and we have the distribution rights for this image. Please, if you have any plagiarism case of your work, send it us, but if you are looking for examples of other authors note that we have many contributors before falsely accusing.

The second example, as others have said, is content indexed by Freepik from http://gratisography.com

Quote from: Microstockphoto on February 05, 2016, 18:34
a lot of money? 0.005c per download. are you sick in the head?

Please, read this interview: http://www.freepik.com/blog/kirsty-pargeter-how-to-earn-money-with-your-designs/

Monty-m-gue, we have subscribers to Freepik and we have advertising in our site.
We have 10 million users around the world.

Quote from: stockastic on February 05, 2016, 18:10
This guy is like Martin Shkreli.  He has an answer for everything, but never quite addresses the real questions.   Even if we wanted to play DMCA whack-a-mole, how would we even find out if any of our stuff was there?

How do you do it in other sites? You are artists, I guess that you have always this problem, not only in Freepik. We are also often victims of plagiarism, and we find it when someone tell us or when we I seek our images on Google.

But, really, the copies on Freepik are exceptions.

Quote from: cathyslife on February 05, 2016, 17:44

QuoteThe users can download your resources free, but you will earn a lot of money. And this is the novelty.

I must be really dense, because this statement seems to contradict itself. If users can download my resources for free, how do I earn a lot of money? $5 per 1000 downloads is not a lot of money, for one thing, and I don't get what you mean with that "free" word.

Doesn't really matter, I am not an illustrator and wouldn't upload here anyway. I'm just trying to get what is going on.

First of all, sorry for my english. I know it isn't perfect   

I will try to explain it better. The users can download your resources for free, but you earn a lot of money because we will pay to you per downloads.

For example, this illustration was uploaded 4 days ago and it has +9000 downloads. (it's an exclusive resource designed by freepik, but imagine that is yours).

http://www.freepik.com/free-vector/hand-drawn-roses-and-leaves-pattern_836794.htm

You would have won $ 45 in 4 days, and this amount continues growing, of course. And, also, you could to have the illustration in other banks, because it's a non-exclusive agreement.

How about it? Here you have more info: http://www.freepik.com/become-a-contributor

Quote from: Jo Ann Snover on February 05, 2016, 17:40

Quote from: Shelma1 on February 05, 2016, 16:55
...Is Lena Pan working with you?

http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-152546006/stock-vector-halloween-party-design-template-with-pumpkin-and-place-for-text.html?src=tFb7fol9TZ9gehCt8Iy6Bg-1-7

http://www.freepik.com/free-vector/halloween-vector-party-template_610074.htm#term=halloween%20party&page=11&position=7

So the graphic on FreePik is credited to CG Vector

http://www.cgvector.com/free-vector-of-halloween-party-template/

CG Vector appears to be loaded with copies of Shutterstock vectors, for example:

http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-155501288/stock-vector-retro-thanksgiving-card-with-pumpkins.html
http://www.cgvector.com/free-vector-pumpkin-thanksgiving-card/

So if FreePik wants to be taken seriously as a legitimate source of graphics - and offering work that's been stolen or plagiarized puts FreePik's customers at legal risk as well - it should remove anything from CG Vector until it has a chance to verify ownership.

Thank you Jo Ann Snover. It's correct. In this or in another forum we have explained that Freepik was a search engine that compiled content from other sites.

And this resource was taken from Vecteezy (you can see in the right column, under the download button). We haven't the resource in our servers; we only redirects our users to vecteezy.

But, of course, we are going to delete it. As we said you, "whenever we detect plagiarism, we take measures immediatly removing the content, but it is inevitable that some case go unnoticed."

sharpshot, skyfish:

It's "new" because you earn money for the downloads. We offer high quality resources to our users and they can use them for free (with attribution) or they can subscribe and use them without credits.

The users can download your resources free, but you will earn a lot of money. And this is the novelty.

http://www.freepik.com/blog/kirsty-pargeter-how-to-earn-money-with-your-designs/

It isn't a s**t, I can assure you. We're telling you how Freepik works, and we do it with respect. One person has accused us of uncertain things and we wanted explain it personally in this forum and inform you about our new system of contributors.

if you do not want to try it, you do not have to do it But we think that it's a fantastique way to monetize your illustrations.

Hello,

We continue the conversation in the other threads that you are talking about the same subject.

Thank you

We pay to all contributors $5 for every 1000 downloads. We know that this is a new business model, but It's just another way to earn money with your illustrations and you can try it when you want (Please mail us to marketing(at)freepik.com)

And the most important. We want that you know that we take seriously every copyright infringement. Therefore, whenever we detect plagiarism, we take measures immediatly removing the content and correcting our working methods, but it is inevitable that some case go unnoticed. This happens in all banks and, in fact, we sometimes are also victims of plagiarism.

Shelma, if you need we can talk by Hangout or Skype but, if not, we will leave this matter to our lawyers, because publishing false accusations is an illegal act.

Thanks so much and we keep in touch for everything you need

Quote from: Freepik on February 02, 2016, 14:38
Hello again everyone,

Justanotherphotographer, we do not do this anymore. However, there are resources that are still indexed, like the examples that you have indicated and we have already erased.

We take seriously every copyright infringement and we invest a lot of money in creating our own content. Therefore, whenever we detect plagiarism, we take measures immediatly removing the content and correcting our working methods, but it is inevitable that some case go unnoticed.

Shelma, I can ensure you that we never ask for replicas from Shutterstock and whenever we have detected a plagiarism of any sort, we have immediately terminated the contract with the designer as we do not tolerate these actions. We work with many authors and one of our core values is to respect the work of designers. Those working exclusively for us know how we are react in terms of copies.

As for the contributors, there are more and more people interested in our system. Having your illustrations in Freepik doesnt mean that the sales of your images in other banks decrease but, in fact, it is a way to monetize files for which a designer was no longer generating any income in other platforms. Designers like you have tried it and they are very satisfied.

Really, we'd love to have your collaboration. We would like you to give us a chance, get to know us, as now you know how much we strive to make your work be respected by others.

We pay to all contributors $5 for every 1000 downloads. We know that this is a new business model, but It's just another way to earn money with your illustrations and you can try it when you want (Please mail us to marketing(at)freepik.com)

And the most important. We want that you know that we take seriously every copyright infringement. Therefore, whenever we detect plagiarism, we take measures immediatly removing the content and correcting our working methods, but it is inevitable that some case go unnoticed. This happens in all banks and, in fact, we sometimes are also victims of plagiarism.

Shelma, if you need we can talk by Hangout or Skype but, if not, we will leave this matter to our lawyers, because publishing false accusations is an illegal act.

Thanks so much and we keep in touch for everything you need

Quote from: cathyslife on February 02, 2016, 15:47

Quote from: Freepik on February 02, 2016, 14:38
Hello again everyone,

Justanotherphotographer, we do not do this anymore. However, there are resources that are still indexed, like the examples that you have indicated and we have already erased.

We take seriously every copyright infringement and we invest a lot of money in creating our own content. Therefore, whenever we detect plagiarism, we take measures immediatly removing the content and correcting our working methods, but it is inevitable that some case go unnoticed.

Shelma, I can ensure you that we never ask for replicas from Shutterstock and whenever we have detected a plagiarism of any sort, we have immediately terminated the contract with the designer as we do not tolerate these actions. We work with many authors and one of our core values is to respect the work of designers. Those working exclusively for us know how we are react in terms of copies.

As for the contributors, there are more and more people interested in our system. Having your illustrations in Freepik doesnt mean that the sales of your images in other banks decrease but, in fact, it is a way to monetize files for which a designer was no longer generating any income in other platforms. Designers like you have tried it and they are very satisfied.

Really, we'd love to have your collaboration. We would like you to give us a chance, get to know us, as now you know how much we strive to make your work be respected by others.

So are you saying that contributors are placing their illustrations on Freepik and giving them away for free, with the hopes that they will ride on your search placement coattails, etc. and then make sales from sites like Shutterstock? Because you should know that most of the people who are on this forum, and really, most people who are in business to make money, will NEVER give their images away for free. I can't speak for everybody, but my whole point of putting images on microstock agencies is to sell. I never give away images for free. It's bad enough having to watch thieves steal, and see people post high resolution image sizes of my images on their website, making them available for all for free.

We pay to designers $5 per 1000 downloads.

Here you have a success story: http://www.freepik.com/blog/kirsty-pargeter-how-to-earn-money-with-your-designs/

Hello again everyone,

Justanotherphotographer, we do not do this anymore. However, there are resources that are still indexed, like the examples that you have indicated and we have already erased.

We take seriously every copyright infringement and we invest a lot of money in creating our own content. Therefore, whenever we detect plagiarism, we take measures immediatly removing the content and correcting our working methods, but it is inevitable that some case go unnoticed.

Shelma, I can ensure you that we never ask for replicas from Shutterstock and whenever we have detected a plagiarism of any sort, we have immediately terminated the contract with the designer as we do not tolerate these actions. We work with many authors and one of our core values is to respect the work of designers. Those working exclusively for us know how we are react in terms of copies.

As for the contributors, there are more and more people interested in our system. Having your illustrations in Freepik doesnt mean that the sales of your images in other banks decrease but, in fact, it is a way to monetize files for which a designer was no longer generating any income in other platforms. Designers like you have tried it and they are very satisfied.

Really, we'd love to have your collaboration. We would like you to give us a chance, get to know us, as now you know how much we strive to make your work be respected by others.

Hello again everyone,

Justanotherphotographer, we do not do this anymore. However, there are resources that are still indexed, like the examples that you have indicated and we have already erased.

We take seriously every copyright infringement and we invest a lot of money in creating our own content. Therefore, whenever we detect plagiarism, we take measures immediatly removing the content and correcting our working methods, but it is inevitable that some case go unnoticed.

Shelma, I can ensure you that we never ask for replicas from Shutterstock and whenever we have detected a plagiarism of any sort, we have immediately terminated the contract with the designer as we do not tolerate these actions. We work with many authors and one of our core values is to respect the work of designers. Those working exclusively for us know how we are react in terms of copies.

As for the contributors, there are more and more people interested in our system. Having your illustrations in Freepik doesnt mean that the sales of your images in other banks decrease but, in fact, it is a way to monetize files for which a designer was no longer generating any income in other platforms. Designers like you have tried it and they are very satisfied.

Really, we'd love to have your collaboration. We would like you to give us a chance, get to know us, as now you know how much we strive to make your work be respected by others.

Hi everyone,

I am Luisa Mateos, Head of Marketing Communication at Freepik. I'm copying the message that I've posted in another thread:

Michele, first of all, we want to inform you that the images which you've indicated have been deactivated and we have taken actions against the person who has designed them.

Certainly the designer was inspired in your work and so we decided to take them off Freepik. We review each design and we always demand that the designs should be original, but in this case we have been deceived too.

I also would like to explain to all Freepik´s business model for you to understand where our revenues come from and what has happened with Shelma.

The site began as a search engine of free images and it used to take free images from the internet and it used to index them.

Then we started to produce our own content. For this we have a team of designers, from different locations around the world, who work with us creating exclusive resources.

Finally, we recently launched a system of contributors, where designers can upload their content and earn money for every download they get through their illustrations. In this case, the content is not exclusive of Freepik and each resource is credited to the author. As a result, this is a very beneficial system and all designers who work through this system are very satisfied with their earnings. Sometimes even earning more than in other stock websites.

The companies main earnings come from the advertisements we do with Shutterstock and Google Adsense, and of course with the premium plans we offer. With this premium plans, users can use the illustrations of Freepik without any attribution. (Our images are free, but you need to credit the author, whereas the premium subscribers can use them without any attribution).

As you can see, our business model of offering free images is unique compared to other companies business model and it is beneficial for both users and designers. We'd love to know your point of view regarding this and please do not hesistate in asking any questions or doubts you would have regarding this..

Sorry again, Michele.

Best regards

Hi everyone,

I am Luisa, Head of Marketing Communication at Freepik.

Michele, first of all, we want to inform you that the images which you've indicated have been deactivated and we have taken actions against the person who has designed them.

Certainly the designer was inspired in your work and so we decided to take them off Freepik. We review each design and we always demand that the designs should be original, but in this case we have been deceived too.

I also would like to explain to all Freepik´s business model for you to understand where our revenues come from and what has happened with Shelma.

The site began as a search engine of free images and it used to take free images from the internet and it used to index them.

Then we started to produce our own content. For this we have a team of designers, from different locations around the world, who work with us creating exclusive resources.

Finally, we recently launched a system of contributors, where designers can upload their content and earn money for every download they get through their illustrations. In this case, the content is not exclusive of Freepik and each resource is credited to the author. As a result, this is a very beneficial system and all designers who work through this system are very satisfied with their earnings. Sometimes even earning more than in other stock websites.

The companies main earnings come from the advertisements we do with Shutterstock and Google Adsense, and of course with the premium plans we offer. With this premium plans, users can use the illustrations of Freepik without any attribution. (Our images are free, but you need to credit the author, whereas the premium subscribers can use them without any attribution).

As you can see, our business model of offering free images is unique compared to other companies business model and it is beneficial for both users and designers. We'd love to know your point of view regarding this and please do not hesistate in asking any questions or doubts you would have regarding this..

Sorry again, Michele.

Best regards