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Stockphotos do you care?

by Bev Clement
26 replies
If you outsource web creation, ebooks, video and the finished product comes back with stock photos, do you care enough to ask the creator where they bought them, and what licences were given?

Too often we can assume the person has bought them, but if you don't ask how do you know.

Anyone remember the headers which were sold on the WSO where the person had copied and pasted them from istockphoto and when you stripped the layer you could see the watermark from them.

Many a person has been prosecuted for using photos which they have no rights to.

I know when I get my graphics created, the person has bought the graphics, and is more than willing to show where from and all the other information to prove I have the right to use them.

Don't assume ... your business is worth more than this.

Do your due dilligence

Bev
#care #stockphotos
  • Profile picture of the author Leslie B
    Bev,

    Thanks for posting this. I've been thinking of getting some ebooks written in the future for some of my niche blogs, and I know I wouldn't have asked if I didn't see this message. I have it saved near my ebook plans

    Leslie
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  • Profile picture of the author R Hagel
    I absolutely agree. I can't tell you how many people I've seen who think "Google images" are free for the taking.

    Cheers,
    Becky
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  • Profile picture of the author InternetM39482
    Yup, that's one very important thing. Even when flipping sites, a lot of people assume that Google images are free to use. And that might land them into deep trouble.

    It's very important to do your due diligence whenever you're buying anything that you're going to put your name on.
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  • Profile picture of the author John S. Rhodes
    My simple solution:

    I always use the same suppliers. I trust them. I know
    how they operate. This "kills" all the problems I would
    face with a new resource.

    So, I pay maybe a 10% premium. Big deal! On a $25
    project, who cares...

    ~ John
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  • Profile picture of the author Bev Clement
    John, same with me for my graphics. But for anyone using someone for the first time, it only takes a few seconds to ask.

    Bev
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    • Profile picture of the author Steven Wagenheim
      Bev, I'm going to go one further, and I know this may scare the crap out of
      a lot of people, but when you go to one of those stock photo sites and
      download a photo (some of them require no payment at all)...

      How do you know they have the right to give you that photo?

      Maybe they ripped it off from another site.

      Here is why I am bringing this up.

      I was looking for a stock photo for one of my ebooks. I found the one I
      wanted at this one site, but the price was way more than I was going to
      pay for it. It was absurd.

      Well, I kept searching and found the exact same photo at another site
      that was absolutely free.

      Now I know many freelancers submit their work to multiple sites in order
      to get the most income from their efforts, and maybe the person who
      submitted this photo didn't realize that this one site just gave the photos
      away for free.

      But maybe, just maybe, somebody downloaded the photo illegally and then
      submitted it to this other site or maybe the site itself just took it upon
      themselves to take it.

      Point is, do we really know what photos we legitimately have access to?

      After my own personal experiences, I assume nothing anymore.
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      • Profile picture of the author Aljiro
        Originally Posted by Steven Wagenheim View Post

        Bev, I'm going to go one further, and I know this may scare the crap out of
        a lot of people, but when you go to one of those stock photo sites and
        download a photo (some of them require no payment at all)...

        How do you know they have the right to give you that photo?

        Maybe they ripped it off from another site.

        Here is why I am bringing this up.

        I was looking for a stock photo for one of my ebooks. I found the one I
        wanted at this one site, but the price was way more than I was going to
        pay for it. It was absurd.

        Well, I kept searching and found the exact same photo at another site
        that was absolutely free.

        Now I know many freelancers submit their work to multiple sites in order
        to get the most income from their efforts, and maybe the person who
        submitted this photo didn't realize that this one site just gave the photos
        away for free.

        But maybe, just maybe, somebody downloaded the photo illegally and then
        submitted it to this other site or maybe the site itself just took it upon
        themselves to take it.

        Point is, do we really know what photos we legitimately have access to?

        After my own personal experiences, I assume nothing anymore.
        ^ Scary thought.

        As to the OP's question, A few people do care but there a lot of people who clearly don't. I would assume any professional graphics/web designer worth his salts will buy an appropriate license for a graphic he needs for his project. The people who "unknowingly" steal photos are those who do not see the implications or clearly do not see the value of it.

        An example of this is the food house near the place where I go to school. Its been there for ages and one day I decided to take a look. One of their posters caught my attention, not because it was great but because of the big picture of a graduation cap with the watermark of iStockphoto. The photo was clearly taken without permission.

        I lost my appetite and walked away.
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  • Profile picture of the author Bev Clement
    Steven, it doesn't surprise me at all. I know there have been people using photos which they think are free because they are on the internet.

    People see cheap for say creating a video or something like that and lose their brains. They don't care where the photos came from, just the amount of money they have saved.

    What they fail to understand is the cost if the original owner sues them for theft.
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  • Profile picture of the author WD Mino
    I like Julie stone she tells you upfront the photos used are from x site the license for them is personal use or whatever she is clear and upfront and does some awesome stuff . very good point you just never know kind of like as forrest would say a box of chocolates you just never know what your gonna get

    -WD
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  • Profile picture of the author kswr123
    As a designer, stock photos are often a really nice element in designs.

    If I use them, I make sure that I tell the client that they need to buy them, or that I buy them on their behalf.

    What's important is making sure, in my opinion, that one one person (the designer) has the photo. When it's on two machines it gets legally sketchy.

    If you're working with a designer that you just aren't sure about, its best to BUY the photos yourself and email them to him/her. That way you're safe. If they reuse the photos its THEIR fault, not yours.

    Thanks,

    Mubarak Waseem
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  • Profile picture of the author Taylor French
    Hypothetically speaking, if you knew with 99% certainty that a service provider was using stolen stock photos in something they were selling as a service in the Warriors for Hire section and you had already given proof to the moderators several weeks ago without any response or action, meanwhile dozens of warriors were still buying the service, what would you do?
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    • Profile picture of the author purplecone
      Hypothetically speaking, if I had enough proof to be certain, I would post about it in the forum. Not to get someone into trouble with the Forum or Admin, but to hopefully help others keep out of legal trouble. Legal fines and jail terms for copyright infringement can be pretty hefty.

      In my opinion, it would be the right thing to do.

      Linda
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    • Profile picture of the author rosetrees
      Originally Posted by Taylor French View Post

      Hypothetically speaking, if you knew with 99% certainty that a service provider was using stolen stock photos in something they were selling as a service in the Warriors for Hire section and you had already given proof to the moderators several weeks ago without any response or action, meanwhile dozens of warriors were still buying the service, what would you do?
      I would post a response in the thread. Also contact the mods again, just in case your support ticket slipped through the net.

      Yes - I always make sure any images I use from istock are paid for. I also use stock exchange and just have to "trust" that the photos are legit.

      I also use a lot of my own photos.
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      • Profile picture of the author Taylor French
        Originally Posted by rosetrees View Post

        I would post a response in the thread. Also contact the mods again, just in case your support ticket slipped through the net.

        Yes - I always make sure any images I use from istock are paid for. I also use stock exchange and just have to "trust" that the photos are legit.

        I also use a lot of my own photos.
        I can't post a response in the thread because of forum rules.

        I can't post a thread about it in the main forum because of forum rules.

        I know for a fact the mods know about it, at least some of them. I am 100% certain of that. I will not post their response, but I found it rather shocking and disappointing. :confused:
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  • Profile picture of the author purplecone
    Copyright law does cover most images and most stock photos on the web, but there are some you can use free. A search for "public domain photos" will give you a list of sites to choose from. You can also find public domain audio and video to use in your work.

    www.morguefile.com and Public Domain Pictures, Royalty Free Stock Photos, Free Pictures are the sites I use for public domain, royalty free, and copyright free images.

    Just to be clear, here, I do not have an affiliation with either site, and do not make money if you decide to use them. Both sites request but do not require donations.

    The Public Domain Pictures, Royalty Free Stock Photos, Free Pictures site does have some images that are for sale (usually below the fold on the webpage), but they are low priced most of the time. And, while I am no expert in digital or any other photography, I think there are enough great photos to keep me in business for a long while.

    Morguefile.com gives you a broad license to do anything you want to with the images, except sell them as images, so I use these more often than the others.

    I use these for all the online images and offline printed documents I use in my marketing and in my real JOB.

    Hope this is helpful to all IM's out there.

    Linda
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  • Profile picture of the author iamchrisgreen
    As a designer, I would say you need to be very careful.

    I know of companies that have had HUGE fines slapped on them for using images from istock etc and haven't paid.

    "Apparently" ... some of these companies have software and people that scan the internet for uses of the pics..
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  • Profile picture of the author Andyhenry
    How can you not know? they charge you for images they pay for - don't they? mine do.

    I'd know if they never paid for something - because I wouldn't get billed

    Seriously though - It is a problem and it's often almost impossible to tell whether an image has been properly licensed as there are many people illegally selling them with licenses they have no right to offer.

    Andy
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    nothing to see here.

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  • Profile picture of the author badboy_Nick
    Originally Posted by Bev Clement View Post

    If you outsource web creation, ebooks, video and the finished product comes back with stock photos, do you care enough to ask the creator where they bought them, and what licences were given?

    Too often we can assume the person has bought them, but if you don't ask how do you know.

    Anyone remember the headers which were sold on the WSO where the person had copied and pasted them from istockphoto and when you stripped the layer you could see the watermark from them.

    Many a person has been prosecuted for using photos which they have no rights to.

    I know when I get my graphics created, the person has bought the graphics, and is more than willing to show where from and all the other information to prove I have the right to use them.

    Don't assume ... your business is worth more than this.

    Do your due dilligence

    Bev
    Get him to sign a document that everything he's done is authentic and he has the rights to use the source-files he provided you with. That should cover you.
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  • Profile picture of the author Taylor French
    Well, I posted in the thread. I just couldn't sit by for another month and watch more people ordering. I guess if you guys see "Banned" underneath my name soon, you'll know why.
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  • Profile picture of the author Richard Tunnah
    Good post Bev. Always important to make sure you have full rights to any photo's used in work done for you. I tend to use the same guys to do graphics etc and they give me the option of providing images from my istockphoto account or they can charge me and send me the purchase details.

    Rich
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  • Profile picture of the author thetrafficaddict
    Yes, use stock photos. You can never be too safe. I use istockphotos they have a good selection you can get for a buck. Good stuff.
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    • Profile picture of the author kittyd
      hi, i`m new around here but since i do graphic design i believe i can give you some answers from the "inside"

      every graphic designer has both licenced & illegal photos. it is our way to be to store stuff even for inpiration.

      but what i use for clients depends of the price of the product itself.
      if you order a book cover for 15$, you can be sure I am not going to buy a picture with 15$ for it. In the best case, and if it fits, i will use some of the ones i already have.

      those 1$ pics that some mentioned previously, they are so small that they rarely can be used on anything else than banners, or maybe headers... but with ecovers at high resolutions (and most of the most popular action scripts used by designers generate high res), you can`t buy anything for less than 10$ (those of 4MP).

      As a solution, i always ask clients to buy their own stock. that is how they can always have at hand the proof of their use rights. But most of them just jump ahead and buy the 1$ ones, and send me the 300x400 px pic, that i can just throw away.... i do alot of "educating" the clients in this matter. but the case re-opens with every new one :p

      About not-licenced pictures, there is a huge difference beween royalty-free and ar pics. i noticed alot of ecovers containing pure art taken from deviantart and such. now, for those, one that would sue would go straight to the target, as they were surely not sold for commercial use. With stock images that are quite widely used, one will have to find who actually made the cover. cuz there are many agencies that have them licenced, or even included in stock-discs and sold as bulk almost. Now, for those, not many would go to the trouble of finding who delivered the cover. and if they do, the clients risk is limited to stating "this design agency (or freelancer as well...) made my cover, go ask them...."

      so, in the end, the risk is actually on the designer & his/hers smart or dumb choices
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  • Profile picture of the author edlewis
    I always ask if I outsource with someone new...

    I'm also reluctant to use the CHEAPEST services....some of these designers I see charge so little and then include stock photos that have to eat up most of their revenue. Either some of these guys enjoy working for peanuts....or there is a good chance there is something sketchy going on.

    Personally, I'd rather pay $20 or $30 for a cover than $10 if it means I never have to worry about stuff like that and never get blindsided by some lawsuit.

    Some people either don't agree and are willing to take the risk.....or perhaps they just don't know any better, I guess.
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  • Profile picture of the author Nic Lynn
    Why stop at photography? What about the actual text in the articles, ebooks and web content that much of us outsource some of? No different than a picture really. How are we 100% sure that it is aok for us to use?

    [Now imagine that I am wiggiling my fingers in your face, doing the universal signal for "spooky hands!"]
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