rgbstock
Ripper Alert
1. xymonau30 August 2011, 14:53 GMT +02:00
http://www.wallsave.com/wallpaper/1600x1200/green-squares-x-blocks-background-314696.html
A lot of familiar images here being offered for download, including mine. I can't seem to make a comment, though, as every time I try, the page goes wonky. Can anyone else post there?
I'm so sick of thieves.
50. xymonau6 January 2012, 4:27 GMT +01:00
Has everyone given permission for these images to be redistributed from this site? Not all have been made into 3d.
http://www.picturesharing.com/great-photos/album/index.html
51. jazza6 January 2012, 11:37 GMT +01:00
When I look at the photo-file names I think they are ripped/copied form sxc. hu
For instance look at this one:
http://www.picturesharing.com/great-photos/album/thumbs/732700_94498976.jpg
and this page
http://www.sxc.hu/photo/732700
same number, same photo.....
52. weirdvis7 January 2012, 10:01 GMT +01:00
Definitely taken from SXC because the two pics of mine still carry the original blurb that accompanied them. However, those images of mine were removed from SXC almost three years ago so this site has been around at least that long. Therefore these images seem not to have been added too in that time.
I think this is someone who wanted to show off his/her favourite images from SXC. There doesn't seem to be any intention to rip off because the images carry the original information and the name of the photographer. I'm happy not to take any further action on this.
Update. I've taken a closer look at the info beneath each image. The site hasn't been updated since 10/7/07. It is quite possible I have given permission but with all the requests I've had over the years I won't remember these so I can't say for certain. Given that the images are credited correctly I won't be contacting the site's owner.
53. angusgiorgi12 January 2012, 15:07 GMT +01:00
Hi, I really love the dynamism in this community, and I've just joined from SXC because a couple of nice members there kindly pointed me in this direction.
At the risk of upsetting anyone I just wanted to give my perspective. So please don't get offended, it's just a point of view.
I'm a creative film-maker and I've followed the advancement of the open source movement over the years on the internet (archive.org, open source software and communities like Blender etc.) and I passionately believe in the idea that the old forms of copyright did more to serve the likes of Disney and big corporations in regard to stifling creativity and innovation and in stealing from the original creators of work and in fact did very little to protect the original creators of images, animations, photography, audio recordings, art and writing.
My take on this, regarding any of my personal images I upload is that I'm uploading them here so that people can take them use them and make anything they want from them. I love the notion that I can take a photo (even if I'm a fairly lousy photographer) andput it online and then someone else can creatively find a use to make something from it.
I'm uploading photos here because I want them to be used, copied, broken apart, made into other things and this is one of the few dynamic sites that will give me an opportunity to widely distribute free works for anyone to use. I don't even care if that usage is for any political statement that someone or some party might claim is racist or whatever. What I care about is protecting and contributing to freedom of speech and the human basic need for freedom of creative expression by contributing to any shared arenas like this that can break down the creative stranglehold that companies like Disney aggressively prosecute. For example when Disney takes an existing century old child's fairy tale and remakes it, then claims copyright on any and all images or uses of it and starts suing people even with the surname of "their" character for simply having a website or owning a store with their own name on it.
I totally understand and support the terms on this site of no redistribution because that's needed to protect photographers who do want to share but don't want to see their work taken by others without credit, and I wouldn't want this site to change that. However maybe the possibility exists for the creators of this site to move it into a couple of directions in terms of licencing to also have an avenue to allow people to contribute on a licence more akin to a wikimedia, creative commons style copyright free licence. i.e have a middle set of terms where people who want to protect redistribution etc. can, and also have another set of terms where people who want to give images away free with no restraint can.
Just pennies for thought. My biggest fear is not a kid running a Russian site pinching an image I've been happy to give away in the first place, whether to a non-profit or to someone who could find a way to sell it and make money from it.
Even if someone in Russia or India makes a couple of bucks selling an image, I kind of feel like that's normal human creativity at work. I get that it seems really scary that someone is ripping stuff, however genuinely I'm much more afraid of the mentality that corporations have where they think they can patent or copyright the human genome, or where they can use excessive copyright restrictions to stifle freedom of expression and creativity in traditions such as storytelling, image sharing, the creation of art which have all existed right throughout human history and been a major force for good in the creative development of the human species.
In comparison to someone ripping an image of mine that I already gave away and maybe making a dollar to feed their family, to me the greater crime is the one of the corporations. I just really wanted to speak up for our natural instinct to post stuff, share stuff and give stuff to each other, because it's a natural and good thing to do. It's how human communities have always developed, evolved and passed things down to each other. Huge wealth and inequity borne out of copyright has only been epidemic since mega corporations started using copyright to strangle little people.
To put the issue of piracy by small player into perspective against the unbelievable wealth that corporations and individuals have built up trading off the back of everyone else this the current net worth of seven top execs of such corporations.
Rupert Murdock, News Corp net wealth $7,400,000,000
David Geffen, Record Exec $4,600,000,000
Ike Perlmutter, CEO Marvel, $1,800,000,000
Bud Selig, MLB, $400,000,000
Simon Cowell, Record Producer, $165,000,000
Lucian Grange, CEO Universal, $100,000,000
Bob Iger, Disney President, $60,000,000
54. weirdvis13 January 2012, 9:40 GMT +01:00
Hi Angus,
There are a number of contributors, myself included, who do not mind people redistributing images and/or making money from them as long as they sought and were granted permission to do so. What we take issue with is people stealing those images and claiming them as their own. While it is possible that a ripper might be doing it to feed his/her starving brood I would put money on the majority of rippers doing it out of pure greed. Such is human nature.
Theft is theft whether or not it's a free stock image or a car or a billion dollar bank fraud. The principle is the same no matter how big or small the crime. Accept one and you accept them all.
But that's just me. :0)
55. dlritter2 February 2012, 2:32 GMT +01:00
Here is a site redistributing lots of stock images. I recognize many of the images.
---
Download Absolutely free Royalty Free Photos for Presentations: For Personal AND Commercial Use!
http://www.brainybetty.com/Free-Royalty-Free-Photos.htm
http://www.brainybetty.com/MENUGraphics.htm
---
They are not "for sale" but I don't remember ever giving permission for this use.
56. crisderaud2 February 2012, 7:11 GMT +01:00
I wrote her and explained that the images she is offering constitutes redistribution.
We'll see what her reply is of if she does indeed reply
58. xymonau2 February 2012, 10:24 GMT +01:00
Hey, is she the serial image thief previously mentioned on another link? There is something familiar about her face, and for some reason I thought of a link to a site complaining about a mother and daughter (?) who steal images. I'll look for the link and check.
59. crisderaud2 February 2012, 15:15 GMT +01:00
I have received a reply from the brainbetty.com site.
She says, "Please let me know what page you are referring to and they will be removed immediately."
She seems to be willing to resolve any copyright infringement issues.
Please send me the link to the images on her site that you want removed. Send them to me through our contact link http://www.rgbstock.com/contact
We will be more effective working with her through one contact and I am willing to represent the site.
60. xymonau7 February 2012, 10:30 GMT +01:00
Another site redistributing images without permission, and lots are from here:
http://www.freeppt.net/abstract-and-textures-backgrounds.html
They have a Facebook site where just about all our RGB stock is being offered for download as well:
http://www.facebook.com/Freeppt
61. xymonau9 February 2012, 12:39 GMT +01:00
This person has agreed to remove my images after I posted on his Facebook page. There are hundreds of our images on there. i urge everyone who wants them removed to ask, as he seems to be trying to do the right thing.
62. mzacha10 February 2012, 12:29 GMT +01:00
Wow, beautiful images. I have to learn how to do such. Do you know any tutorials? :P
63. Gramps11 February 2012, 11:46 GMT +01:00
Left a message on the wall and a comment on the graphics of mine. On the wall I mentioned the fact that a lot of the graphics are from RGBStock and that was where to go for more. Awaiting an answer from them.
I don't mind them being used, that's why they are on this site, but at least give the owners some credit.
64. xymonau11 February 2012, 12:13 GMT +01:00
But Phil, they are not being "used". They are being put up on his site to give away. Therefore, the downloads are being counted there, and he makes a profit from ads because of his traffic.
65. Gramps13 February 2012, 8:57 GMT +01:00
Mixed feelings there Dez, downloads are great for my ego but the idea is to give away my graphics / photos. On the other hand he is taking away hits on this site which creates our revenue to keep us afloat. That's why I want a link back to here. People who might not know about us will at least get a link to us.
66. dlritter13 February 2012, 21:15 GMT +01:00
Here is something you may not realize about "rippers".
When your images are distributed by "other" websites the people downloading them from those sites could very well intend to repackage your images and SELL them for profit. These people may very well think they are completely within their rights as they may be following the terms of use (if there are any) of the site that they downloaded these images from.
This is the reason I "go after" other websites distributing my images for "free".
Thieves uploading my images to "for pay" stock sites as their own images also really makes me angry.
67. Gramps15 February 2012, 8:11 GMT +01:00
Point taken, It's a risk you take as soon as you upload your graphics to any site, not just this one.
68. xymonau11 April 2012, 15:23 GMT +02:00
http://www.cute-wallpaper.com/preview.asp?id=2667
Redistribution happening here with my image. I haven't had time to check the whole site, but there are familiar images there. I found a few other sites offering the same image and I'll post the links so you can look for your images.
http://www.girlytwitter.com/install.asp?id=5350
http://www.girly-myspace-layouts.com/getgraphic.asp?graphic_id=98 (two of mine on this page, and no contact details anywhere)
69. fishmonk7 August 2012, 14:05 GMT +02:00
http://bywest.deviantart.com
Some of Bina & Scotts images here - I don't recognise any others but would guess someone else might...
70. boogy_man8 August 2012, 12:09 GMT +02:00
I guess the only solution for this kind of problem is uploading very small images, to about 1024x768 max. People who need a higher resolution should contact you and mention the reason they want it.
I believe that I will start doing this from now on as I’ve had quite a struggle with one single image posted in deviant art by some turkish guy who intended to sell the image.
71. lusi8 August 2012, 12:24 GMT +02:00
@ 70 Well, that would makelife more complicated to a huge numer of honest people who need free images for their projects. Very often you need a photo immediately and can't wait for the author to reply to your request. Possible ripping is a risk that a photographer must take into acount when uploading images to a free site. When evaluating what is more important to me, I decided that making my images free for all people that do not have means to buy them from paysites is more important then having some of my photos stolen. The thief will have to live with his guilt (somewhere in his mind he knows he is doing something wrong), and the honest users are the ones that I am thinking of when uplading my images.
72. boogy_man8 August 2012, 12:51 GMT +02:00
I don't believe thieves live with this kind of guilt. They consider the image being free and since it was free why not sell it, it is pure profit. I’ve heard a story yesterday morning about two thieves that stole money from ATM’s from all over the US and Europe, got away with it and now live grand, they even founded a company, and they bragged about it to friends, one of them being the driver who was going to the same city that I work in and gave me a lift. That shocked me…how can you do such things and brag about it?! Thank God I live in a very small town in Romania and get to see the bright side of this country (that is nature).
But you’re right Iusi, it’s the honest people that make you feel proud you’re sharing a picture. It makes me happy when someone appreciates my work rather than paying me and treating me like a camera with two eyes.
73. jazza10 August 2012, 12:05 GMT +02:00
In the past we had a lot of problems with ATM's in the Netherlands. Mostly groups of Romanian thieves (sorry Mihai) were skimming and ripping of the machines.
Today the ATM machines seems to be better secured, so maybe your 'friends' lost their jobs ;)
To steal photos on the Internet is a lot more easy, but do not believe you can make much money with it.
