Photos taken without permission

[Scott Blair]

It has come to my attention that Billy Griffin has taken several photographs from chasers, including one of mine, and placed them onto his website calling them his own.

http://www.billygriffin.com/wxphotos.htm

My photo was taken without permission and includes the Albany, MO multi-vortex tornado from May 24, 2004. In addition, he has cropped and removed the copyright notice from my photo. The real images I shot from this day can be found here.

http://www.targetarea.net/may2404.html

He claims the photo is from March 21, 2005 and several other photos on his page look very familiar to other chaser's images. I would strongly encourage everyone to review this page and determine if their photos were stolen.

It takes a sad and pathetic individual to take other chaser’s photographs and call them their own, especially when they claim they have been chasing since 1995.

Scott Blair
http://www.targetarea.net

 

[Mike Mezeul II]

The first picture on there is from Paris, Tx on March 21, 2005 and was taken by Darin Brunin. I know this because he and I chased together on that day and also, I was standing right next to him as he shot that and then showed me the picture. The 2nd, 3rd, and 4th pics from the March 21 account are from Karen Rhoden. That really is quite sad. I dont mind people using my pics on their site, as long as the copyright stays on and they at least ask.

~I have sent a PM to Darin and Karen letting them know about this situation.

 

[Dick McGowan]

The fourth one down I recognize also. I am gonna scroll back and i'm pretty sure it wasn't Billy's.

 

[Darin Brunin]

WOW! I would expect that from non chasers but chasers (or a thief in this case) stealing other chasers pics. It just happens that the top one is mine taken on March 21st near Paris, TX. Wow I am freakin pissed. Billy I would advise you to get that off of there very very quickly buddy.

See a resemblence? This is freakin rediculous.


From Billy's website

From my website

 

[Mike Peregrine]

Looks like Billy may have broken the cardinal chase photography rule ... unless he can come up with a very compelling defense very quickly - either that or start making amends.

Welcome to the board's official blacklist, Bill.

 

[Bill Tabor]

The photo grab further down looks like David Drummond's from just Saturday of the twin tornadoes.

 

[chad lawson]

since he is a country singer and song writer maybe he can write and sing a song apoligizing. he could call it ( USING PICTURES WITHOUT PERMISSION)

 

[Craig Maire II]

Damn!

Darin,
I looked at both those pics and definitely think they are of the same tornado, just looks like a certain "someone" adjusted the contrast or something. Its to bad that this type of problem exists; wonder why he didn't use any of my pics, weren't they good enough???? :lol:

 

[Mike Mezeul II]

wow wow wow... looks like he just updated his site from this past saturday, and Scott Blair's, David Drummond's, Melanie Metz's, Dan Robinson's and Nick Grillo's pics all appear...and to make things worse, everyones copyrights have all been cropped off. These are the pics with the copyrights
http://www.stormtrack.org/forum/viewtopic....?t=6836&start=0

..also...16 tornadoes? Funny how SPC has only 10 reported...

...this is just sad...and thats an understatement

 

[mikedeason]

Re: Damn!

Originally posted by Craig Maire II
Darin,
I looked at both those pics and definitely think they are of the same tornado, just looks like a certain \"someone\" adjusted the contrast or something. Its to bad that this type of problem exists; wonder why he didn't use any of my pics, weren't they good enough???? :lol:

Craig, I guess there's something to be said for us less talented photogs!

Look at the bright side, though guys; at least it wasn't Hollingshead getting ripped off this time!

Regards,

Mike

 

[Dick McGowan]

hey

Nice, Billy, nice.

 

[Mikey Gribble]

Pretty scummy. I find it so hard to understand why people do these kinds of things. The main reason I post pictures and reports is because I am proud of what I accomplished. I don't know how pawning someone elses accomplishment (photos) off as your own would make you feel better about yourself. Ya really got your pants pulled down on this one Billy.

By the way, I am not a math major, but I was on the Kent county storm from its first tornado too and there were not 16 tornadoes. You aren't supposed to count each vortice in a multivortex tornado Billy.

 

[Phillip Hurlbut]

I also thought the "16 tornadoes" thing was a little sketchy. I can't say that for sure, since I wasn't on the southern storm until a little after it stopped producing. But nobody else I've heard of saw nearly that many tornadoes on Sunday.

Since I don't know very much about photography or copyright laws, I wonder what exactly the penalties are for somebody who steals someone else's copywritten pictures?

--Phillip

 

[Sheila_Ward]

Un-frickin-believable. I was going to give the guy the benefit of the doubt that maybe he just happen to be in the same location, but these are so OBVIOUS. You can tell where the copyrights have been cropped.

And the first 2 photos under March 21 aren't even from the 21st (as previously mentioned) in OK.

How pathetic. And this is on his storm chasing home page:

All images Copyright and U.S. patent protected, © 1996 - 2005

Billy Griffin Productions, Natural Images Photography

 

[Todd Beal]

oh wow...

the picture from march 21st is the Stanberry/Albany, MO tornadoes from last May.