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Can Screenshot Images Be Traced

by Knowledge Kick
22 replies
Most of the time, we can find nice images to use that are available for free public use and/or buy from stock photo sites. However, sometimes you want to use an image you found on Google Images to include in an article, etc.

Just to be on the safe side, you could screenshot the image, crop it accordingly and save as a new file. My question is...is it possible for any of this to be traced?

I just get paranoid because you can find multiple stories of Regular Joes being forced to pay hundreds of dollars to companies like Getty Images for unknowingly using images on their blogs that were subject to copyright.

I know that these companies need to make money and protect their investment, but some things I've read seem a little harsh. I certainly don't want to ever deal with anything like that.

Do you think taking a screenshot and essentially creating a new file could ever be linked to a copyrighted image? Even if it was an obvious version of a copyrighted photo, does there need to be some sort of electronic download trail in order for them to claim you violated the rights? Opinions?
#images #screenshot #traced
  • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
    If you make a photocopy of a $100 bill, does the Treasury need a trail to accuse you of counterfeiting?

    Basically, that's what you are asking - if you steal an image indirectly, can you still get in trouble if you're caught.

    My opinion? No, they don't need some kind of digital marker in the file to prove you stole it.
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  • Profile picture of the author dgiles63
    I think that it would be obvious that your file is still the original--even if you cropped it a little.

    My suggestion - Find a highly rated outsourcer on Fiverr. Send them the graphic, and ask for something similar.

    You may be surprised with what they come up with, and then you have less to worry about.
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  • Profile picture of the author Brandon Tanner
    Originally Posted by Knowledge Kick View Post

    Just to be on the safe side, you could screenshot the image, crop it accordingly and save as a new file.
    You definitely wouldn't be on the "safe side" if you did that! Stealing is stealing, no matter how "sneaky" you try to be about it.

    Don't risk it -- it's simply not worth it. Especially considering how inexpensive it is these days to purchase usage rights for stock images from a legit provider.
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  • Profile picture of the author CyberAlien
    Screenshotting and creating your own file aren't a way to get around the law. If you're using their image, you're infringing on their copyright.

    Also, companies like Getty have been known for coming after people for tens of thousands of dolars.
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    • Profile picture of the author An Al
      Originally Posted by Chase Watts View Post

      Screenshotting and creating your own file aren't a way to get around the law. If you're using their image, you're infringing on their copyright.

      Also, companies like Getty have been known for coming after people for tens of thousands of dolars.
      And sadly, some dummies actually pay them.
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  • Profile picture of the author Knowledge Kick
    Listen, I'm just asking because I want to know. I even mentioned that I use stock photo sites, etc. I even usually use Advanced Search on Google to look up images that are marked as free use. Everyone gets so up in arms sometimes about stuff like this. I'm not trying to steal anyone's hard work and sell it. I was simply posing a question because I don't think anyone should have to worry about being sued for tens of thousands of dollars for putting a picture in a blog post. It was simply a hypothetical question and wanted to hear some opinions on both the legal and the technical aspects of the issue.

    Also, there could be so many factors here. Let's say someone downloads a copyrighted image, then they alter the image and post it as their own and they mark this image as "Free Use". Someone comes along and is searching for free use images on Google, downloads the person's "free use" image and is then sued by the original copyright owner for violation. This person did everything they could to search safely and abide by the rules, but in this situation, they would still be screwed. See what I'm saying? I'm merely trying to get some insight because it was on my mind and usually is every time I need images to use.

    Please don't jump on me for simply asking a question.
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    • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
      If you buy a stolen car from the thief, even if he gives you a pink slip, it's still a stolen car. You still bought stolen property. The owner of the car still has the right to go after both you and the original thief to recover their property.

      I'm not accusing you of anything, Kick, but there are a lot of content thieves and other pirates that post threads every day asking about how they can get away with it or how likely they are to get caught. Folks that make a living creating that content tend to get a bit prickly when "how to get away with stealing" threads pop up. It's not personal.

      As for your "free to use" example, if you got nailed, you would have the burden of proving that you were given what you believed was a legitimate license. You would have a hard time proving that you didn't just steal the original, especially if you took pains to "file off the serial number".

      All the people coming after you would have to prove is that they owned the image and that they did not give you permission to use it.
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      • Profile picture of the author Knowledge Kick
        Originally Posted by JohnMcCabe View Post

        If you buy a stolen car from the thief, even if he gives you a pink slip, it's still a stolen car. You still bought stolen property. The owner of the car still has the right to go after both you and the original thief to recover their property.

        I'm not accusing you of anything, Kick, but there are a lot of content thieves and other pirates that post threads every day asking about how they can get away with it or how likely they are to get caught. Folks that make a living creating that content tend to get a bit prickly when "how to get away with stealing" threads pop up. It's not personal.

        As for your "free to use" example, if you got nailed, you would have the burden of proving that you were given what you believed was a legitimate license. You would have a hard time proving that you didn't just steal the original, especially if you took pains to "file off the serial number".

        All the people coming after you would have to prove is that they owned the image and that they did not give you permission to use it.
        And what I'm saying is, that would not be right. I understand that content creators put a lot of time and effort into their work. No one is disputing that and I definitely understand why these people would get upset.

        HOWEVER, I definitely do not think an ordinary person should be exposed to that kind of risk and shouldn't be liable if he took the measures to try and be safe. Sure, you can attach it to a stolen car analogy, but it's still the same. If a car is stolen and you bought a stolen car (not knowing it was stolen) then you could still be sued. I get that. What if this person bought it from a car dealership? They obviously didn't have any reason to think the car was stolen. Do you think they should have to be punished for buying the car? I definitely don't. This is my point when searching on Google for images that are marked as safe.

        Again, I understand how it can be a sensitive issue but I don't think people should have to worry about things like this and that the grey area is far too big.
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        • Profile picture of the author bengirwb
          Just a comment from out of left field.

          Getty, and some other image agencies, have a lot of photos that were created over a century ago. The Civil War photos are popular.

          Yet Getty will take those images, list them on its site and claim copyright.

          Don't understand how Getty and other agencies get away with it.
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          • Profile picture of the author Knowledge Kick
            Originally Posted by bengirwb View Post

            Just a comment from out of left field.

            Getty, and some other image agencies, have a lot of photos that were created over a century ago. The Civil War photos are popular.

            Yet Getty will take those images, list them on its site and claim copyright.

            Don't understand how Getty and other agencies get away with it.
            My point exactly. There is so much grey area when it comes to this. Obviously some things are clear-cut and I'm glad our country has copyright laws. However, it can be taken too far and I don't think normal people should have to worry about being crushed in court by a huge company for accidentally violating a law they tried to obey.
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        • Profile picture of the author Knowledge Kick
          Originally Posted by MarketMaster13 View Post

          Yes,you can be traced.Even if you cropped it,it will still remain as the original one
          Can you give any technical input as to how?
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        • Profile picture of the author Kim Standerline
          It doesn't matter whether you think it's right or not, the fact is you just can't do it. And as John says, if you're caught with questionable images you're going to have to prove you bought them in good faith etc.

          It sucks but unfortunately that's the way it is at the moment

          Blame all those folks who just don't care about other people's intellectual rights.

          Your best bet when sourcing images is to make sure you use very reputable sites, especially when using free images

          Kim

          Originally Posted by Knowledge Kick View Post

          And what I'm saying is, that would not be right. I understand that content creators put a lot of time and effort into their work. No one is disputing that and I definitely understand why these people would get upset.

          HOWEVER, I definitely do not think an ordinary person should be exposed to that kind of risk and shouldn't be liable if he took the measures to try and be safe. Sure, you can attach it to a stolen car analogy, but it's still the same. If a car is stolen and you bought a stolen car (not knowing it was stolen) then you could still be sued. I get that. What if this person bought it from a car dealership? They obviously didn't have any reason to think the car was stolen. Do you think they should have to be punished for buying the car? I definitely don't. This is my point when searching on Google for images that are marked as safe.

          Again, I understand how it can be a sensitive issue but I don't think people should have to worry about things like this and that the grey area is far too big.
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          • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
            Originally Posted by Knowledge Kick View Post

            Again, I understand how it can be a sensitive issue but I don't think people should have to worry about things like this and that the grey area is far too big.
            I'm not trying to be combative here, but what you think and $2 will get you a decent cup of coffee from most restaurants.

            To be fair, I don't disagree with you in principle. But that's not how the world works. And asking for technical details to enable you to use images that could cause trouble on a public forum would not strengthen your case.

            If you flat out took the image, and the owner wasn't quite as hardass as outfits like Getty, you might get away with pleading ignorance. Jumping through hoops to attempt to obscure your trail screams "I knew what I was doing".

            Originally Posted by Kim Standerline View Post

            Your best bet when sourcing images is to make sure you use very reputable sites, especially when using free images

            Kim
            I don't trust the "free to use" option on Google search, as it relies on the word of the person hosting the image. And I don't trust a thief protesting innocence. Heck, the jails are full of innocent people - just ask them.

            I do use images from Flickr, but I do a screen capture of the license and the page showing the image, and I'm ready to remove that image at any time. I'm also very careful to comply with the license terms (attribution, etc.) It's a calculated risk, but if you're careful about whose images you use, it can be minimal.
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  • Profile picture of the author danlew
    Just don't do it though. If that image you cropped is copyright protected, it's still an act of stealing, and can be discovered anytime around.
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    • Profile picture of the author MissTerraK
      My suggestion would be to set up something similar to what image you like and photograph it yourself. Or have someone who has photography training to do it if you're not the best photographer or don't have a really good camera.

      I don't know why anyone would want to take that kind of risk and claiming ignorance isn't a good excuse in the eyes of the law.

      Terra
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  • Profile picture of the author Steve B
    Originally Posted by Knowledge Kick View Post

    Just to be on the safe side, you could screenshot the image, crop it accordingly and save as a new file. My question is...is it possible for any of this to be traced? . . . does there need to be some sort of electronic download trail in order for them to claim you violated the rights?
    KK,

    Yes, it is possible to trace images online. I do it all the time to see where my work is being displayed. Anyone can use several online web sites, including Google, to track down where particular images have been uploaded and are available for public viewing.

    No, there does not need to be "some sort of electronic download trail" to prove a person violated copyrights. When you create unique intellectual property it is automatically copyrighted when it is distributed. Just making your own screen shot, while it is a new image, it can still violate copyright law. What you're asking about is no different than taking a video camera to the movies and making your own copy of a film - it's against the law.

    If there's any question about what you're trying to do, I would use restraint. Stick to getting your images from one of the professional image dealers.

    Even using "free for commercial use" images from places like Google and Flickr carries some risk because, as you said, some individuals will claim their images are free to use when in actuality they are copyrighted by someone else.

    Good luck in your search,

    Steve
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  • Profile picture of the author da1fitz
    I've followed your train of thought several times and came to the conclusion especially relating to the Google search and sometimes even using images from PLR packs is that its just not worth it.

    There are so many pieces of free software for creating top class images (GIMP for instance) and so many tutorials teaching how to use these packages that you may as well create your own graphics or take your own pictures and just use them.

    Even taking the FIVERR option can lead to someone using clippings of copyrighted images and selling them to you so its again as well to create your own.
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  • Profile picture of the author Vector Graphics
    If you are so worried about getting caught for doing something illegal then why are you even thinking about doing what you want to do?

    There are plenty of images that give you this rights to use them so why bother trying to steal someones copyrighted image?

    Search for public domain or copyright free images and use one of those to avoid and legal issues!
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    • Profile picture of the author Knowledge Kick
      Originally Posted by PlrGraphics View Post

      If you are so worried about getting caught for doing something illegal then why are you even thinking about doing what you want to do?

      There are plenty of images that give you this rights to use them so why bother trying to steal someones copyrighted image?

      Search for public domain or copyright free images and use one of those to avoid and legal issues!
      Someone didn't read the whole thread...
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  • Profile picture of the author Paul200
    For the OP

    Have a read on here

    Digital Fingerprints For Images: Detecting Image Theft for Free - The Blog Herald | The Blog Herald
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    • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
      Originally Posted by Paul200 View Post

      Given that the article linked here is from 2007, the most relevant bit may be this one:
      Fortunately, new tools are on the horizon that will make these hodgepodge systems obsolete and will enable photographers and artists to track their work not just by name, but by content. These tools can track an image even if it is cropped, modified or even reformatted.
      (Emphasis mine.)

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      • Profile picture of the author Steve B
        I have had good luck using Tineye to search for duplicate images online. It's certainly not perfect, but works well most of the time.

        Steve
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