On an innocent Google search for ube (purple yam) cake images, I discovered not one, but several sites, using my cake photos for advertisement. It's shocking (and shameful)...Bakeshops using photos of cake that they did not even make.
To use someone else's photos is one thing, but to put your watermark on them and claim them as your own is just taking it to another level.
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| Image credit: from the webpage that used my photos. My original photos are here. |
Access to the two web pages which were on Facebook have already been removed. Another one in another site has also been deleted. I am in the process of dealing with the last one.
I believe I have been generous enough to let people use my tutorials and recipes freely. The eBooks I sell are the only ones I have copyrighted as I don't want them distributed in any way. I have always allowed people to even sell their finished products when most pattern makers won't.
I thank those who contact me to ask permission when needed and for giving acknowledgement where it is due.
I suppose there's other copyright violations out there that I may never find out about. To be honest, I really don't want to make this my problem. So please, read my Copyright Notice and respect it.
This is really upsetting!
ReplyDeleteFor the future I hope people will respct this more! I know from such problems a friend had in germany as well ....
Have a lovely weekend,
hugs
Claudia
Corinne, I had a tutorial ripped off a while ago, and had to work to get the blog pulled. They were trying to make money out of what I had provided for free. Jerks.
ReplyDeleteI wrote a series about protecting your blog: http://sewhappygeek.co.uk/index.php/protect-your-blog-series/ which includes watermarking your photos in such a way that others will find difficult to remove. The instructions are for picnik which is totally free. Please have a look to see if anything I've written helps.
It is such a shock when you see your stuff being ripped off. I'm so so sorry you've had to deal with it.
Its disgraceful Corinne...it happened sometime ago to me with a site stealing my whole tutorial and lots of others I recognised at the time...so I emailed who I could to let them know about them stealing the whole tutorial..pics and all...I sent the site a very direct email about their stealing and they did remove it...but the cheek of some people is disgusting. I do however refuse to buy a pattern if I cant use it to sell the made item from. I find that rude myself. If I pay good money for a pattern I think that it should be able to be made and given or sold freely with recognition to the designer if being sold. Hugs Khris
ReplyDeleteI am so sorry that your kindness was repaid with deceit by a few. As someone who has plans to make your City Backpack in the next few weeks, I am so grateful that you share your talents and tutorials. Please know that there are probably more people who appreciate and respect your talent than the those who steal.
ReplyDeleteHi Corinne, I stumbled upon your blog when I was searching for an ubecake recipe for my dad's bday. I actually used the google images and found cake photos on a few websites, I do think it's disgraceful that it's turned out this way. Thank your for sharing your fantastic recipes, I am most grateful and appreciate for your blog.
ReplyDeleteThis is utterly disgraceful. I'm sorry this happened to you Corinne. You have been very generous for sharing your valuable recipe to us. I want to extend my gratitude for doing so and your effort is very much appreciated by a lot of people.
ReplyDeleteRose from Couture Cakes by Rose :)
Thank you for sharing your many great ideas. Sorry for someone taking the time to not contact you. I enjoy your blog very much. Stephanie
ReplyDelete