Dan Robinson
EF5
The big stock photo sites, in particular Shutterstock, have been repeatedly allowing pirate accounts to upload thousands of stolen images to the site, allowing these works to be sold to third parties.
petapixel.com
The issue has been known to them since at least 2015, as numerous posts on their own user forums have indicated. A few examples:
https://forums.submit.shutterstock....and-saling-on-shutterstock-from-another-port/
https://forums.submit.shutterstock.com/topic/90621-my-photo-was-stolen-and-selling-on-ss/
https://forums.submit.shutterstock.com/topic/90697-infringement-watch-out-for-user-stealing-photos/
Several chasers have been affected.
Shutterstock has taken no proactive measures to mitigate this problem, such as basic reverse image search vetting or even algorithmic matching of existing photos on their own service. They remove images and accounts only when they are discovered and reported by a photographer. In many cases, by then the works have been sold and used commercially to third parties multiple times.
Shutterstock's approach to this is to invoke DMCA safe harbor protections, asserting that the liability is on the infringing uploader (who, in most cases, is an overseas bad actor that will be impossible to pursue legally). However, this ignores the fact that since the stolen images are a direct profit generator, the company loses the safe harbor provisions of the DMCA.
If your images are stolen, do not contact Shutterstock about it or let them know of specific instances (as this allows them the opportunity to destroy evidence). Just call your attorney.
I've said this many times on this forum, but it's worth repeating: *register your best work* now, BEFORE this happens to you. Prior-registered photos give you a much more powerful stance in an infringement case, most attorneys will not take nonregistered image infringement cases as they do not allow for the reimbursement of legal fees and court costs.
US Copyright Office registration, signing on with a contingency fee attorney and doing regular searches for your best work are all important to protect your images from this kind of threat.
Thieves May Be Selling Your Photos on Shutterstock
While looking at my own images on Shutterstock, I noticed the Shutterstock algorithm was suggesting my photos as “similar” images. I thought it was a bug
The issue has been known to them since at least 2015, as numerous posts on their own user forums have indicated. A few examples:
https://forums.submit.shutterstock....and-saling-on-shutterstock-from-another-port/
https://forums.submit.shutterstock.com/topic/90621-my-photo-was-stolen-and-selling-on-ss/
https://forums.submit.shutterstock.com/topic/90697-infringement-watch-out-for-user-stealing-photos/
Several chasers have been affected.
Shutterstock has taken no proactive measures to mitigate this problem, such as basic reverse image search vetting or even algorithmic matching of existing photos on their own service. They remove images and accounts only when they are discovered and reported by a photographer. In many cases, by then the works have been sold and used commercially to third parties multiple times.
Shutterstock's approach to this is to invoke DMCA safe harbor protections, asserting that the liability is on the infringing uploader (who, in most cases, is an overseas bad actor that will be impossible to pursue legally). However, this ignores the fact that since the stolen images are a direct profit generator, the company loses the safe harbor provisions of the DMCA.
If your images are stolen, do not contact Shutterstock about it or let them know of specific instances (as this allows them the opportunity to destroy evidence). Just call your attorney.
I've said this many times on this forum, but it's worth repeating: *register your best work* now, BEFORE this happens to you. Prior-registered photos give you a much more powerful stance in an infringement case, most attorneys will not take nonregistered image infringement cases as they do not allow for the reimbursement of legal fees and court costs.
US Copyright Office registration, signing on with a contingency fee attorney and doing regular searches for your best work are all important to protect your images from this kind of threat.
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