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Author Topic: Shutterstock gives any of your images for free  (Read 14794 times)

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« on: August 15, 2017, 05:53 »
+2
Today I found the website newbielink:http://shutterdowner.com/ [nonactive]

It allows you to get 1000px wide non-watermarked image from any shutterstock item.

Here's simple example:
newbielink:http://api-download.shutterstock.com/gatekeeper/W3siZSI6MTUwMjgyMjI4NCwiZCI6InNodXR0ZXJzdG9jay1tZWRpYSIsImsiOiJwaG90b1wvNjk2Mzc1OTEwXC9tZWRpdW0uanBnIiwibSI6MH0sIkE4aWdOV0h3WW1hbExLV0JEVEhUWWMxcHRBRSJd/shutterstock_696375910.jpg?token=exp=1502822284~acl=/gatekeeper/W3siZSI6MTUwMjgyMjI4NCwiZCI6InNodXR0ZXJzdG9jay1tZWRpYSIsImsiOiJwaG90b1wvNjk2Mzc1OTEwXC9tZWRpdW0uanBnIiwibSI6MH0sIkE4aWdOV0h3WW1hbExLV0JEVEhUWWMxcHRBRSJd/shutterstock_696375910.jpg [nonactive]*~hmac=453f923d0e62f863ab45db0d6e66338589c32e55

As I can see from the link it leverages Shutterstock's API service. Simple googling showed me being right:
newbielink:https://www.earngurus.com/download-shutterstock-images/ [nonactive]

As far as I can understand any of Shutterstock's API deals (like deal with FB or Google) creates an exploit to download our images for free, with no compensation. Ever. what???


« Reply #1 on: August 15, 2017, 06:19 »
+1
It was already discussed few weeks back:
http://www.microstockgroup.com/shutterstock-com/dafuq-will-ss-ever-cover-their-loopholes/

Not sure when SS will fix it.

« Reply #2 on: August 15, 2017, 06:32 »
+1
It was already discussed few weeks back:
newbielink:http://www.microstockgroup.com/shutterstock-com/dafuq-will-ss-ever-cover-their-loopholes/ [nonactive]

Not sure when SS will fix it.


Thank you. I haven't seen that thread. It has been one month since the issue was discovered and discussed. Nothing has changed.

There's no wonder anymore why our sales are in decline. Shutterstock not only encourages 000' of new contributors to upload millions of poor similar images and spam the search but also has no interest in closing backdoors in its tech.

One simple search for how to download shutterstock images for free provides you with tens of options to choose from.

Very upset. Is there any official response from Shutterstock?

Chichikov

« Reply #3 on: August 15, 2017, 06:54 »
+1
It was already discussed few weeks back:
http://www.microstockgroup.com/shutterstock-com/dafuq-will-ss-ever-cover-their-loopholes/

Not sure when SS will fix it.


Thank you. I haven't seen that thread. It has been one month since the issue was discovered and discussed. Nothing has changed.

There's no wonder anymore why our sales are in decline. Shutterstock not only encourages 000' of new contributors to upload millions of poor similar images and spam the search but also has no interest in closing backdoors in its tech.

One simple search for how to download shutterstock images for free provides you with tens of options to choose from.

Very upset. Is there any official response from Shutterstock?


I think that one thing to do is to send a tweet to @jonoringer
Another thing it to write about it on the Shutterstock Facebook page > https://www.facebook.com/Shutterstock/

Of course if only one or two persons will do it it will have no effect, but if we are 10100 1000

(But as always, people will lament and do nothing You want to bet?)

« Reply #4 on: August 15, 2017, 08:10 »
0
In the past, people HAVE done more than lament, but the thieves pop up faster than we can find them. And the sites don't seem to care about stopping the thieves.


I can only suggest what has already been suggested...if you find your images stolen and being given away, contact the agency and complain. Unless I find my own images being stolen, I can't complain on anyone else's behalf. And in the past, I have joined the movements and fought for the cause, and here we are 10 years later with the same problem. There are lots of newbies jumping in to make their millions in microstock...they are going to have to take up the cause to fight the thieves, too.

« Reply #5 on: August 15, 2017, 09:50 »
+3
SS took down many sites reported at this thread in June - July: https://forums.submit.shutterstock.com/topic/91181-stealing-ss-images-big-time
Maybe it would be a better place to report this one too at the same thread. I don't think they are reading this forum.

« Reply #6 on: August 16, 2017, 02:16 »
+1
SS took down many sites reported at this thread in June - July: https://forums.submit.shutterstock.com/topic/91181-stealing-ss-images-big-time
Maybe it would be a better place to report this one too at the same thread. I don't think they are reading this forum.

I don't think that they are reading this forum either, but the above thread on Shutterstock forum is old and long. They may not bother with it any more. Of course you can report it on that thread, and start a new thread, and email them... you don't have to limit reporting this stealing site in just one way! Many reports is better than one. HOWEVER it's probably not a good idea to put this in social media where people can find about this site.

I encourage everyone to go to this site and try one of your images. I inserted a SS link and the result was a flawless 1843X1229 photo without watermark, perfect to use in many projects and web. You don't need a larger image for web, blog or some small prints even. Imagine when knowledge of this site spreads online, (and it does on social share, on forums, etc).

It's safe to use this site, because no one will know anyway whether the end user has purchased a license or not.

This is our work at stake. I already emailed SS but that's not enough. Contributors, please report this site!

Chichikov

« Reply #7 on: August 16, 2017, 03:13 »
0
SS took down many sites reported at this thread in June - July: https://forums.submit.shutterstock.com/topic/91181-stealing-ss-images-big-time
Maybe it would be a better place to report this one too at the same thread. I don't think they are reading this forum.

The Shutterstock forum is read only by contributors.
The twitter and the Facebook pages are read by much more people, including customers, shareholders, Shutterstock staff and the CEO himself.

OM

« Reply #8 on: August 16, 2017, 07:37 »
0
SS took down many sites reported at this thread in June - July: https://forums.submit.shutterstock.com/topic/91181-stealing-ss-images-big-time
Maybe it would be a better place to report this one too at the same thread. I don't think they are reading this forum.

I don't think that they are reading this forum either, but the above thread on Shutterstock forum is old and long. They may not bother with it any more. Of course you can report it on that thread, and start a new thread, and email them... you don't have to limit reporting this stealing site in just one way! Many reports is better than one. HOWEVER it's probably not a good idea to put this in social media where people can find about this site.

I encourage everyone to go to this site and try one of your images. I inserted a SS link and the result was a flawless 1843X1229 photo without watermark, perfect to use in many projects and web. You don't need a larger image for web, blog or some small prints even. Imagine when knowledge of this site spreads online, (and it does on social share, on forums, etc).

It's safe to use this site, because no one will know anyway whether the end user has purchased a license or not.

This is our work at stake. I already emailed SS but that's not enough. Contributors, please report this site!

Indeed. Tried one of my images with NEW watermark....makes no difference...perfect watermark-free image. Not only that but the little SS red logo appears alongside that site in my history column!
I did have to turn off my AdBlock Plus before it would work and guess what popped up as ad on their site page.........Adobe Stock! It would almost be comical if it weren't so serious.
 

« Reply #9 on: August 16, 2017, 08:13 »
0
SS took down many sites reported at this thread in June - July: https://forums.submit.shutterstock.com/topic/91181-stealing-ss-images-big-time
Maybe it would be a better place to report this one too at the same thread. I don't think they are reading this forum.

I don't think that they are reading this forum either, but the above thread on Shutterstock forum is old and long. They may not bother with it any more. Of course you can report it on that thread, and start a new thread, and email them... you don't have to limit reporting this stealing site in just one way! Many reports is better than one. HOWEVER it's probably not a good idea to put this in social media where people can find about this site.

I encourage everyone to go to this site and try one of your images. I inserted a SS link and the result was a flawless 1843X1229 photo without watermark, perfect to use in many projects and web. You don't need a larger image for web, blog or some small prints even. Imagine when knowledge of this site spreads online, (and it does on social share, on forums, etc).

It's safe to use this site, because no one will know anyway whether the end user has purchased a license or not.

This is our work at stake. I already emailed SS but that's not enough. Contributors, please report this site!

Indeed. Tried one of my images with NEW watermark....makes no difference...perfect watermark-free image. Not only that but the little SS red logo appears alongside that site in my history column!
I did have to turn off my AdBlock Plus before it would work and guess what popped up as ad on their site page.........Adobe Stock! It would almost be comical if it weren't so serious.

Yes. This sick site destroys our work.

This site needs to be stopped. The next thing they will do is to create a stealware to steal watermarked images from ANY site. And I bet they will be larger in size, too.

Contributors, don't be lulled into a false sense of security that YOUR images won't be stolen. They will be, as long as this site is up.

OM

« Reply #10 on: August 16, 2017, 08:36 »
0
SS took down many sites reported at this thread in June - July: https://forums.submit.shutterstock.com/topic/91181-stealing-ss-images-big-time
Maybe it would be a better place to report this one too at the same thread. I don't think they are reading this forum.

I don't think that they are reading this forum either, but the above thread on Shutterstock forum is old and long. They may not bother with it any more. Of course you can report it on that thread, and start a new thread, and email them... you don't have to limit reporting this stealing site in just one way! Many reports is better than one. HOWEVER it's probably not a good idea to put this in social media where people can find about this site.

I encourage everyone to go to this site and try one of your images. I inserted a SS link and the result was a flawless 1843X1229 photo without watermark, perfect to use in many projects and web. You don't need a larger image for web, blog or some small prints even. Imagine when knowledge of this site spreads online, (and it does on social share, on forums, etc).

It's safe to use this site, because no one will know anyway whether the end user has purchased a license or not.

This is our work at stake. I already emailed SS but that's not enough. Contributors, please report this site!

Indeed. Tried one of my images with NEW watermark....makes no difference...perfect watermark-free image. Not only that but the little SS red logo appears alongside that site in my history column!
I did have to turn off my AdBlock Plus before it would work and guess what popped up as ad on their site page.........Adobe Stock! It would almost be comical if it weren't so serious.

Yes. This sick site destroys our work.

This site needs to be stopped. The next thing they will do is to create a stealware to steal watermarked images from ANY site. And I bet they will be larger in size, too.

Contributors, don't be lulled into a false sense of security that YOUR images won't be stolen. They will be, as long as this site is up.

Not just that site. This one was supposedly reported to SS more than one month ago and yet is still up and running. It claims to download from any of the major agencies. See list on left-hand side of page. In the instructio, it only shows downloading from SS but they claim it can be any major agency.

« Reply #11 on: August 16, 2017, 09:17 »
0
the site still online, this is sad  :(

« Reply #12 on: August 16, 2017, 12:56 »
0
SS took down many sites reported at this thread in June - July: https://forums.submit.shutterstock.com/topic/91181-stealing-ss-images-big-time
Maybe it would be a better place to report this one too at the same thread. I don't think they are reading this forum.

The Shutterstock forum is read only by contributors.
The twitter and the Facebook pages are read by much more people, including customers, shareholders, Shutterstock staff and the CEO himself.
I am sorry that is not true. SS forum if permanently followed by SS moderators and especially the thread I mentioned above. They asked us several time to report any similar case; here is just one: https://forums.submit.shutterstock.com/topic/91181-stealing-ss-images-big-time/?do=findComment&comment=1616793

I wouldn't advertise this thing on social media, thieves find their way without invitation but this is just my opinion.

« Reply #13 on: August 16, 2017, 14:01 »
+1
No wonder why my August sales start falling, this site popularity increase rapidly
Alexa rank from #800.000 something jump into #249.000 in few days!
s*****d*wn*r really threatening us, seriously dude
« Last Edit: August 16, 2017, 23:50 by akaza »

JetCityImage

« Reply #14 on: August 16, 2017, 14:18 »
0
Contact Shutterstock directly. They will send you a note.

https://submit.shutterstock.com/contact?language=en

LEGAL > Content Misuse or Infringement

OM

« Reply #15 on: August 16, 2017, 15:05 »
+1
The thing I don't get is why would SS pacify us a month or so ago with some change to their watermark when their own IT people must have known that pirates remove the watermarks by messing with the code that adds the watermarks. If this problem is insoluble for the agencies then none of our copyrighted material is safe against piracy until they revise their procedures to make the material safe.

Whilst it already seemed pointless to upload new work because of it getting buried under the weekly 1.2 million accepted pile, it now seems doubly pointless because anything you do upload can also be stolen.

It's a strange business really. If our copyrighted work were instead a physical product which we sold via a middleman/wholesaler and at the end of a month the wholesaler turned round and told us that there was only a little revenue for our products (sold) that month because the wholesaler had seen fit to give most of our products away for free or left the doors to his storage open so that thieves could come and take what they wanted for free....do you think you would still supply that wholesaler in future? By continuing to supply our wholesalers, we're effectively saying that we don't mind them giving a load of our work away for free.
« Last Edit: August 17, 2017, 03:20 by OM »

« Reply #16 on: August 16, 2017, 15:25 »
+1
No wonder why my August sales start falling, this site popularity increase rapidly
Alexa rank from #800.000 something jump into #249.000 in few days!
DONT PUT AN ACTUAL LINK ANYWHERE...YOU ARE ONLY HELPING THE THIEVES! really threatening us, seriously dude


You are only helping the thieves every time you post a link.  ::)


« Reply #17 on: August 16, 2017, 16:55 »
+1
I can't access the site. I get an Apache 2 Ubuntu default page. Apparently it's been taken down.

« Reply #18 on: August 16, 2017, 23:53 »
0
I can't access the site. I get an Apache 2 Ubuntu default page. Apparently it's been taken down.
its still on, I only misspelled the link but I already remove them

« Reply #19 on: August 17, 2017, 01:15 »
+1
Did some deep search and found these culprits.. there must be more, but its good to see SS is doing efforts to stop such happenings.
https://www.facebook.com/J2TeaM.pro

They have this msg on their post


« Reply #20 on: August 17, 2017, 09:18 »
0
It's a step, but surely SS retains lawyers who can send an official cease and desist. Oh, but Facebook is free. Lawyers are not.  ::)

« Reply #21 on: August 21, 2017, 06:01 »
+1
This is how they replied on Friday:

"Thank you for reporting this important issue.

Our legal team will issue a takedown notice to this site, and others like it that we find.

Our teams are also working to secure our systems to defend against this type of fraud.

Thank you for your commitment to Shutterstock and for your continued contributions."

that Sh*tterDowner site is still up and working, very disappointing.
Not uploading any new images until this will be resolved.

Chichikov

« Reply #22 on: August 21, 2017, 06:10 »
+1
This is how they replied on Friday:

"Thank you for reporting this important issue.

Our legal team will issue a takedown notice to this site, and others like it that we find.

Our teams are also working to secure our systems to defend against this type of fraud.

Thank you for your commitment to Shutterstock and for your continued contributions."

that Sh*tterDowner site is still up and working, very disappointing.
Not uploading any new images until this will be resolved.

Don't expect that this site closes in few days of few weeks, the process could be very long.
And once the site will be closed it will surely reappear under another name.
To counter this kind of people the best and only valid way is to develop a higher level of security on the Shutterstock site

« Reply #23 on: August 21, 2017, 07:30 »
+1
Shutterstock should reduce the size of the preview images. It's easy for these pirate sites abuse the huge previews. Maybe they could work out some other solution for customers to view the images.

Everyone decides for themselves of course but I for one will wait until this pirate site is down. It's pointless to create high quality images when they are so easily available for thieves.

angelawaye

  • Eat, Sleep, Keyword. Repeat

« Reply #24 on: August 21, 2017, 10:10 »
0
If the previews weren't so * big it would be a step in the right direction.


 

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