I won’t be writing a feature or post about an update on Iloilo rather I’ll be talking about improvements on ExploreIloilo.com particularly about my watermarks, which I know some (or most) of you might have some negative comments about.
Let me share to you a little bit of history about how I started with photography. It won’t be too long, I promise.
I started taking pictures of Iloilo 8 years ago, I was still in high school and was using a low-tech webcam (0.3 megapixels) with built-in memory to take pictures of Iloilo for a project I did in high school. Soon after, I discovered Skyscrapercity.com (SSC) and began posting my pictures on a thread about Iloilo. While I was posting these pictures on SSC and discussing about Iloilo, many Ilonggos joined the site and we had a little Ilonggo community. Sometime in between, some pickpocket had stolen my camera while I was trudging along Iznart St. and I was forced to borrow cameras from friends and relatives.
Whenever I posted pictures, fellow forum members started to give positive reinforcements, which fueled me to take even more pictures of Iloilo to share online. More people noticed my pictures and I was surprised to read some compliments about them since I didn’t study or had any background in photography and I just do it for fun.
Thereafter, a fellow forumer donated a camera to me after my incessant posts about “how I don’t have a camera and how I can take even more pictures if I had one.” I still “exclusively” use the camera to date by the way. Plug: Thanks gd manong Wecky! That camera you invested to me has opened a passion for photography, priceless personal development and opportunities.
As I started to blog on IloiloOnline, I put a relatively unobtrusive watermark on the bottom right side of my photos. And then, I went on to ExploreIloilo.com and did the same thing.
Unfortunately for me, as the popularity of Explore Iloilo grew so did its spread throughout the internet and even in real life. People started to copy/paste my pictures to their blogs, websites, and even friendster profiles. This part is okay with me but the thing that ticked me off was that a few websites had used my pictures for commercial use and posted them without any credit and what’s worse is that they even cropped out the watermark. My frustration was later aggravated after seeing my photos in the frontpage of some of the local dailies. Uncredited, no permission, plus with cropped out watermark. I’ve already anticipated people doing that but didn’t expect such “respected” media entities to disregard such basic media ethics. Thus the start of the huge, obtrusive, annoying watermarks on all of my pictures.
Recently, a fellow blogger and forumer (aka IAMME) posted his pictures on the internet and I was surprised to see that he has removed his center-photo watermark. I was like, what was he thinking? I later thought a lot about it and started to remember all the people who’ve told me to remove my watermarks and the times I told them about how they were necessary. And then, I started reminiscing about how I started with photography and how back then, I did it because I loved showing my captured moments (or my interpretation of it) to the world.
I’ve realized now that I got carried away and that I have lost track of the reason why I was doing these things in the first place. In light of that, from now on I will be taking my watermarks off the center part of my photos but will still retain the watermark on the bottom part of the photo to let people know who to credit the photos to.
With regards to possible copyright infringement violations in the future. I don’t take it sitting down. As of the moment, a demand latter is already being processed to a big company who has posted my photos without permission. I am serious in putting an end to people just taking pictures from blogs and using it for their company to profit.
Hint:
ExploreIloilo.com has certainly grown bigger than me and there will be more changes in the website, hopefully they will come out as improvements. You will notice them in the coming weeks.
That’s all for now. Comments are appreciated. Thanks for taking the time to read this post and continuing to support Explore Iloilo.
18 Comments
Awww… that was a touching tale. I didn’t actually cared about copyrights before until my literature teacher talked about plagiarism as a form of stealing and disrespect and she told us “I’d rather read shit as long as it came from your own ass.” Well, that was quite foul but, you get the gist. hehe. The thing is, in the Philippines, copyright is not well-implemented and that a lot of people (actually, majority) still do not know what the hell that circumscribed C is all about. Like high school students just Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V everything on net without crediting the source, embellish their projects on scented paper and still think they have good projects (only to find out they just did some crime). But I think you can sue them still. :D
And it’s your fault. Your photographs are DAMN MOLTEN HOT! Haha. kidding.
can anybody just put copyright and write all rights reserve on on their works?
Well, I don’t have a clue what that company is but they sure deserve to be sued or something like that. If they’re that big how come they can’t even pay for a royalty? I laud you for your efforts. It is hard to take good pictures so I hope some people would give you credit for it or ask for your permission first. Please put Creative Commons on your site. It may not stop people from stealing your work but those who understand it will know.
[re=60069]gladita[/re]: I have yet to find out how or why they took my photos without permission. In anycase, I’ll be demanding from them compensation … or else I’ll be forced to exert my legal rights.
[re=60066]sss[/re]: I may have misinterpreted your question but yes a photographer can put a copyright notice on their picture but it doesn’t stop other people from cropping them out … not unless it has a big hideous watermark in the center ;)
[re=60060]oel[/re]: Aww… thanks :) hehe. I guess Filipinos aren’t that legally conscious about Copyright Infringement yet. Even National dailies and broadcasting companies are doing it.
Reference:
* Anton Sheker of Blogalicious vs Manila Bulletin: Article
* Enrico Dee of Byahilo vs ABS CBN: Article
hmmmm napapa isip ako.. i dunno if i will follow suit. medyo traumatic experience din ang nangyari on my part. but thank god.everything’s been settled.
all the best for explore iloilo!
PS: ano na to gali ang hotel ta? ahehe
it goes to show that your photographs are hot items.
I agree with you totally as to how annoying those watermarks are. But you have to protect your work of art somehow. You know what, Marcos, some websites can install some sort of protection that prevents prowlers from right clicking their photos. Thereby, unabling them from saving photos without prior permission. I don’t know if you’re aware of this software.
[re=60140]Lee[/re]: Yeah. It’s pretty much useless. If people want to copy your photo they will find the means to do it (print screen) and a right click disabling script won’t stop them.
[re=60122]billy[/re]: Waw. Thanks, hehe
the right click javascript doesnt work in Firefox.
Marc has been implementing the anti right-click thing at the Exploreiloilo Photoblog. It works in Firefox too.:)
For added protection to your site …. add a copyright notice.. make sure it is visible
I added it on my photo gallery and one on my blog.
copyright notice: photos on this site are owned by their respective owners. copying in part or whole, without permission, is punishable by law.
you got me thinking about the whole watermark issue… been debating for the past few months if i will impletement a new one more blatant one.. i noticed also that if you sign your name.. they more cautious since the identity of the photographer is on the photo..
re: case vs bulletin – will advise update in a few days.. :)
[re=60154]Rex[/re]: yep. I don’t think I’ll be implementing it here though
[re=60157]Anton Sheker[/re]: OMG! a Celebrity Blogger has just dropped by :melting: …
when your photo gets downloaded from the web, usually it contains data from your digicam like when it was taken, and stuff. so i seldom find the need to cover the whole photo with my site address, just a caption on the side. i would only worry about my photo being stolen, if i had in fact, stolen it in the first place. almost sounds like patenting stuff, first one to stamp their site address on the whole face of a public photo wins. there are millions of better photos on flickr, and believe me, those people dont take measures as extreme as that.
i dont mean to be rude, but imho, people who had treated photo stealing as too much of a big deal, are people who are afraid of their own medicine. i dont mean to sound accusing, but when you post other people’s contents and photos, even with a little attribution link below, dont you think that’s stealing their content too?
simon cowell would say that your site stinks of greed, y’know, those eyesores: the watermarks, google ads and more.
when i first checked this site, my only impression was, it was like the yellow pages. useful but incredibly ugly.
[re=60451]john[/re]: For some bloggers like myself, some of those eyesores sustain our food and education, be it in whole or in part. Simon Cowell should think again before speaking of greed.
BTW, the EXIF data of photos online are of no use when they are posted on the front page pf newspapers. Photo stealing IS a big deal, especially when done by the mainstream media.
[re=60451]john[/re]: Just like what eric said, we were/are just traumatized at what happened because it is a big deal for us, copyright infringement is a criminal offense. To us, who spend time and money to take pictures and places and then just see them in the front page of a newspaper with no credit, it is not a very pleasant experience. But its a time to move on and the watermarks got to come off.
With regards to posting other people’s content in the net. It’s not stealing if it’s posted within the bounds of the license of the content or permission from the owner. If I have misused a content and posted this on this website, please send me a email so that I can make the necessary changes.
With regard to eyesores. Thanks for the comment, I’ll try to make things look less like yellow pages but y’know to say that ads and watermarks come off as greedy is unfair.
[re=60451]john[/re]: Hey Johnny, some, if not all, people who posts their photos in flickr takes the necessary measure(s) to prevent their work of art from being stolen. Really, if one has invested a lot time and effort to perfect a shot. It’s their option to protect them and should be respected by viewers. That’s the reason why they instituted copyright law. Otherwise, those people whom you refer …of not taking “extreme measures” are the ones who treat their work as PUBLIC DOMAIN, meaning, it’s basically “free-for-all”.
Okay, if Marcos overdid it before, now he’s trying to make the watermarks more subtle and less conspicuous. But, I don’t see any reasons why you, John, insinuated so much negative remarks when in fact, Marcos is just trying to protect his photos and asking people to RESPECT his rights. Simple as that!
I say, EXPLORE ILOILO website is incredibly beautiful and very original.
Everytime I logged into it, I’m exhilirated by the pics Marcos shots at. More power to you Marcos!
well every1 s entitle 2 his/her own o***ion. anyway d owner here s trying 2 take those watermarks 4 everybody 2 fully view d pictures. case close?
well pre its good to have a watermark you know, pinangabudlayan mo na nga obra maistra, but why nga dula-on mo ang watermarks mo, galantaw lang kami and not right to republished for my business, shamed to the poeple doing this. I suggest put back again what you’ve started my friend, not just for giving your own pinangabudlayan. you’ve just only sharing. if we need those copy then we will send a msg to you asking those pictures for any reasons.
nice job my friend and hoping for more pictures. This will lessen our boredom here, for a long time that we didn’t see iloilo.