NatGeo's Your Shot Photo Community Enables Copyright Infringement

[James Hammett]

A warning for anyone sharing their photos to National Geographic's Your Shot photo community. They ask for high resolution, no watermark photos and make them public and available to be indexed by search engines for the taking. As a result my photos have been copied to hundreds of other websites. I've written up more detail here: http://www.stormdig.com/blog/254-how-natgeos-photo-community-enables-copyright-infringement

 

[Warren Faidley]

National Geographic is not what is use to be. I had to stop working with them years go. Shame.

 

[Bill Hark]

Thanks for the warning. I am surprised they would be that careless.

 

[Dan Robinson]

Most photo contests have always been predatory, but this is a new low.

 

[Warren Faidley]

This is a good lesson and discussion for new photographers. I was once a finalist in an International nature photography competition and they required the original transparencies to make copies for a book. Back in the day, a photographer never parted with the actual originals, especially long before Photoshop and digital copying. I declined and lost out. Unfortunately, it's very hard to tell someone who does not shoot for a living to give up free publicity in exchange for unlimited ripoffs.

 

[James Hammett]

Saw this pop up in my Feedly today...unfortunately more bad behavior from National Geographic:

The magazine was asking for people’s images “in perpetuity” to be used “throughout the universe” for free.

Seems like there's a limitless pool of talented photographers willing to go to great lengths to acquire and submit photos to contests like this for nothing but a credit line (if that) and some warm fuzzies. Climbing all over each other for the smallest signs of validation...like notification that an editor added a photo to their favorites. The big players are getting ever better at creating a no-cost supply chain.

 

[Warren Faidley]

The only credit I give them is some honor points for following Tim Samaras and avoiding the fake scientist(s) at the time.