Photographer infringing copyright

I know, photographers are an incestuous bunch, and always photgraph the same things over and over. If someone is going to photograph the same thing I do, that’s the way it is.

However, what happens when someone choses not just the same subject to photograph, but also the same title for the project, and then copy-pastes your text? Actually, the text is my partner’s, but still…

http://www.egyptindependent.com/news/photography-exhibition-brings-circus-townhouse-gallery

http://echophotoagency.com/stories/mister-president%E2%80%99s-circus

When I google for this guy’s name and my title, he actually credits my partner for her text (though he spells her name wrong). She was never asked.

Immitation is the sincerest form of flattery,but this is a bit silly. I spent 5 years on this project, on and off. My partner is not happy. What can we do?

by John Perkins at 2012-09-20 13:27:48 UTC | Bookmark | | Report spam→

Send the guy a letter telling him to take down any content for which he has not gotten permission or a license to post, as he is infringing the copyright in the content. Remind him that crediting an author does not give him a the right to post.

If he does not take it down (or pay for the use of the content) then research where his Web server comes from (use the online WHOIS database), and if it is in the United States send a take-down notice to the server company under the DMCA, a federal law in the US. Here is some information on that law. Be sure you understand all the provisions before you go down that path.

http://www.ipwatchdog.com/2009/07/06/sample-dmca-take-down-letter/id=4501/

by Neal Jackson | 20 Sep 2012 19:09 | Washington, DC, United States | | Report spam→

That’s an interesting post, Neal. I’ve had images stolen in this past times, and always thought there was little to be done from Argentina. Perhaps I can!
Thank you very much for the info.

by Patricio Murphy | 20 Sep 2012 21:09 | Buenos Aires, Argentina | | Report spam→