My Most Recent QSO's

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

A Confusing Situation



I found these websites by running a simple search on my call sign and discovered that some of my "blog pictures" are being used by at least two websites. I don't have a problem with anyone "sharing" my photos (free) but it seems to me, these are being commercially exploited.

Into The Trees Wallpapers @ Muzic-World.com :

Fonds d'écran de Rig 1 @ Musique-Monde :

I don't know whether to be angry, amused or both. I'm looking for answers....

5 comments:

Dick said...

Hi John, sometimes "flattered" is less than acceptable. When I have searched pix to illustrat my blg, I have never touched one that had a copywrite in evidence. If you have some exceptional photos you wish to protect. it would be best to go through copywrite process.

Jspiker said...

Yep....these are NOT good photo's. I can't imagine why anyone would want them on their PC as wallpaper. I shoot all my blog pictures with a 2.1 mega pixel camera. (good for blog work but not much else). Can't imagine why anyone would want these ?? Hihi

I have mixed feelings...

Unknown said...

Personally I have no problem with fellow hams borrowing my pictures or quoting sections of my text if it is done to draw attention to something I have done or have written about i.e. by linking back to my blog or web page. But what you have found is nothing to do with such fair and reasonable usage.

I have sometimes found not only pictures but articles or posts I have written on websites with no apparent link to ham radio. This is the result of "scraper" sites that mechanically steal content presumably with the intent of making some money from people who click on ads after finding these sites using a search engine. The fault, the blame for filling the internet with these rubbish sites, is wholly Google's for allowing anyone, and I mean anyone, to place its ads on their site without exercising any control over the quality of the content, with the result that people start websites purely in the hope that they make some money from ad clicks with no intention of creating anything remotely useful.

Jspiker said...

Very well put Julian.... I have the same feelings about sharing anything I place on the web, but to take it without my permission, and "use" me to make a few bucks on the side...that's another matter.

Don't know there's much I can do about this, but I'm looking into the matter. My usual response to this kind of thing is "show me my signature". If not, remove it.

Unknown said...

If there are Google ads on the offending site then I think if you click on where it says "ads by Google" there is an option to report the site to Google. If Google closes the site's adsense account because it is using stolen content then you have removed the reason for the site's existence.