My Image used by Savannah Convention and Visitors Bureau !?

savannahgasavannahga Registered Users Posts: 225 Major grins
edited February 7, 2007 in Mind Your Own Business
:scratch The email I sent them a few minutes ago:

I have reason to believe the night photo of the fountain (on the main page of this site) was cropped from my original image file. (look at the leaves, they are all in the same place in both images) I didn't get paid for this. Or I should be credited on your site saying it is a www.gallerysavannah.com image.

Here is the link to my image: http://www.savannahga.smugmug.com/gallery/142436/1/5964809/Medium

Jeff Cochran
www.gallerysavannah.com


The image being used here: ( before I watermarked my images :cry)

1.jpg
Savannah
http://www.datewealthypeople.com

Comments

  • gusgus Registered Users Posts: 16,209 Major grins
    edited December 19, 2006
    Def same photo. Send them a bill for $500 via a lawyer (after their cost for the letter). Nice new lens for xmas pressy. I have some quite strong values with image theft.
  • cmasoncmason Registered Users Posts: 2,506 Major grins
    edited December 19, 2006
    Looks the same to me, would be near impossible to get the same pattern of lights and water.

    So what are you going to do? What exactly would a credit or mention be worth? Will the Bureau put you on a recommended photographer list to send you business? Does anyone turn to the Visitor Bureau to get photographers?

    Seems to me that by taking your photo without paying they are screwing their constituency, doing no less than having a meal in a restaraunt and leaving without paying. So if they would eat and leave, but offer some credit for a good meal or perhaps listing in a restaraunt guide as compensation, then I think it ok to simply give you credit.

    My suspiscion is they they pay for their meals, and they should pay for the photos.
    Photos
  • photodougphotodoug Registered Users Posts: 870 Major grins
    edited December 19, 2006
    Obvious theft, Deep Pockets. Teach 'em a friggin lesson. Straight to court. Shoot...even small claims court can pay out $5,000. Punitive damages need to be assessed here. NO WAY I'd let them get away with a small $500 check.
  • gusgus Registered Users Posts: 16,209 Major grins
    edited December 19, 2006
    photodoug wrote:
    Obvious theft, Deep Pockets. Teach 'em a friggin lesson. Straight to court. Shoot...even small claims court can pay out $5,000. Punitive damages need to be assessed here. NO WAY I'd let them get away with a small $500 check.
    WooHoo !! Go for the throat. Yep the more i think of it the more this sort of crap needs to hit local papers etc to show that it is not on. Imagine if you walked into their office & started to walk out with a laptop etc...you'd be arrested so how is this any different. They are stealing from you.
  • AndyAndy Registered Users Posts: 50,016 Major grins
    edited December 19, 2006
    Go get 'em. I put both images on together, no doubt in my mind.
    Andy

    Portfolio • Workshops • Facebook • Twitter
  • FatNakedGuyFatNakedGuy Registered Users Posts: 116 Major grins
    edited December 20, 2006
    how did you find out they were using your image?
  • ian408ian408 Administrators Posts: 21,938 moderator
    edited December 20, 2006
    gus wrote:
    Def same photo. Send them a bill for $500 via a lawyer (after their cost for the letter). Nice new lens for xmas pressy. I have some quite strong values with image theft.

    Be a bill for more than $500...convention & visitor's ought to know better.
    Moderator Journeys/Sports/Big Picture :: Need some help with dgrin?
  • gusgus Registered Users Posts: 16,209 Major grins
    edited December 20, 2006
    ian408 wrote:
    Be a bill for more than $500...convention & visitor's ought to know better.
    Yeah sure i just hope jeff takes to 'em with a stock whip & a bag of salt. They need to be made an example of. Man i hate this sort of crap !!
  • savannahgasavannahga Registered Users Posts: 225 Major grins
    edited December 20, 2006
    One day since my email to them & NO response so far! headscratch.gif
    Savannah
    http://www.datewealthypeople.com
  • DavidTODavidTO Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 19,160 Major grins
    edited December 20, 2006
    savannahga wrote:
    One day since my email to them & NO response so far! headscratch.gif


    Send them a bill, notarized. Make it at least 3x what you would have charged had they asked you. Make sure you send copies to the president/chairman/whoever is the big cheese honcho and their legal department.

    If no response, sue.
    Moderator Emeritus
    Dgrin FAQ | Me | Workshops
  • SamSam Registered Users Posts: 7,419 Major grins
    edited December 20, 2006
    Ok, I'm gona be the odd man out and say they are not the same photo.

    Keep me posted, I've been wrong before. :D

    Sam
    www.samlinvillephotography.com
  • SystemSystem Registered Users Posts: 8,186 moderator
    edited December 21, 2006
    Sam wrote:
    Ok, I'm gona be the odd man out and say they are not the same photo.

    Keep me posted, I've been wrong before. :D

    Sam

    why, sam?-

    the leaves in the foreground on the walkway are in the same position and andy's overlayed the pics and obviously not seen any difference-



    jeff-

    how hard would it have been for them to call you and ask-

    and my guess is you would have been honored for them to use it-

    now all they are are ripoff artists, definitely looking bad in this community-

    give 'em hell-
  • Scott_QuierScott_Quier Registered Users Posts: 6,524 Major grins
    edited December 21, 2006
    savannahga wrote:
    One day since my email to them & NO response so far! headscratch.gif
    I doubt they will respond to the e-mail, but I've been wrong before. I might do one of the following:
    • Send them a registered letter, notifiying them of your intent to recover damages unless they respond, or
    • Retain the services of a lawyer and go after them in earnest.
    As Andy's overlay clearly demonstrates, they either copped your photo or they had a photog standing in your shoe prints, using the same equipment and same settings, and followed it up with the same PP (color, sharpness, etc all the same) ... hmmmm I don't think so.
    Scott
    My Photos
    Thoughts on photographing a wedding, How to post a picture, AF Microadjustments?, Light Scoop
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  • savannahgasavannahga Registered Users Posts: 225 Major grins
    edited December 23, 2006
    Thanks guys for all the advice, i'll persue this matter after the holidays. deal.gif
    Savannah
    http://www.datewealthypeople.com
  • gusgus Registered Users Posts: 16,209 Major grins
    edited December 23, 2006
    Scott_Quier wrote:
    or they had a photog standing in your shoe prints, using the same equipment and same settings, and followed it up with the same PP (color, sharpness, etc all the same) ... hmmmm I don't think so.
    Dont forget placing the leaves on the ground in the same positions. Do keep us informed as to how you get along jeff. Good luck mate.
  • ChuckWCChuckWC Registered Users Posts: 51 Big grins
    edited December 23, 2006
    When I lasted checked the website, they had removed the offending picture (I had to keep refreshing the home page to cycle through all of the images, but the offending one never appeared). It seems they removed it once they received the e-mail.

    To me, it definitely looked like the same photo. I'm just curious what people think: does the fact that they removed the photo from the website right away change any of the damages that the original poster could pursue?
    Chuck


    CWC Photography: “Painting pictures with cameras.” • Nature & Animals • Around the World • New York City • Miscellaneous • Sunsets • Central Park
  • savannahgasavannahga Registered Users Posts: 225 Major grins
    edited December 23, 2006
    It's still on the "scenic Tour" link page. And it still cycles around to the Front page still.
    Savannah
    http://www.datewealthypeople.com
  • frankensteinfrankenstein Registered Users Posts: 57 Big grins
    edited December 23, 2006
    ChuckWC wrote:
    When I lasted checked the website, they had removed the offending picture (I had to keep refreshing the home page to cycle through all of the images, but the offending one never appeared). It seems they removed it once they received the e-mail.

    To me, it definitely looked like the same photo. I'm just curious what people think: does the fact that they removed the photo from the website right away change any of the damages that the original poster could pursue?

    I don't think so - they took something that wasn't theirs, and it appears they've removed it only because they were found out. At the VERY LEAST, they should offer an abject apology

    Frank
    My photo gallery
  • ChuckWCChuckWC Registered Users Posts: 51 Big grins
    edited December 23, 2006
    savannahga wrote:
    It's still on the "scenic Tour" link page. And it still cycles around to the Front page still.

    Yeah, my mistake. The other day, when I tried finding it, I refreshed the front page so many times and never saw it, I just assumed they had removed it. Today, when I tried finding it, it was the first image to appear!
    Chuck


    CWC Photography: “Painting pictures with cameras.” • Nature & Animals • Around the World • New York City • Miscellaneous • Sunsets • Central Park
  • Scott_QuierScott_Quier Registered Users Posts: 6,524 Major grins
    edited December 25, 2006
    ChuckWC wrote:
    Yeah, my mistake. The other day, when I tried finding it, I refreshed the front page so many times and never saw it, I just assumed they had removed it. Today, when I tried finding it, it was the first image to appear!
    FWIW - I just went looking and it's still there today. Hit it with the third refresh. Methinks 'tis time to take legal action.
    Scott
    My Photos
    Thoughts on photographing a wedding, How to post a picture, AF Microadjustments?, Light Scoop
    Equipment List - Check my profile
  • JDubJDub Registered Users Posts: 171 Major grins
    edited December 28, 2006
    OHH man, I hate to hear that. But at the same time, you are sitting on a gold mine here. Get at least 1000 bucks out of them, if not more. Do the certified letter thing, and take some legal action. People steal images all the time, its a sad fact that really needs to be addressed. Make an example out of them!! Makes GA/Savannah look bad too! I would NOT be happy if it were me! Like the previous poster said a few up there, "nice new christmas pressy!!" Heck yeah!
    Josh Westbrook
    ---
    Atlanta, GA
  • cabbeycabbey Registered Users Posts: 1,053 Major grins
    edited January 2, 2007
    ok, so maybe I'm feeling a tad vindictive... but here's a list of folks that might want to know about their little indiscretion with your image... http://www.savcvb.com/partners_sch_results.asp?1=244
    SmugMug Sorcerer - Engineering Team Champion for Commerce, Finance, Security, and Data Support
    http://wall-art.smugmug.com/
  • bhambham Registered Users Posts: 1,303 Major grins
    edited February 6, 2007
    What ever happened with this?
    "A photo is like a hamburger. You can get one from McDonalds for $1, one from Chili's for $5, or one from Ruth's Chris for $15. You usually get what you pay for, but don't expect a Ruth's Chris burger at a McDonalds price, if you want that, go cook it yourself." - me
  • bhambham Registered Users Posts: 1,303 Major grins
    edited February 6, 2007
    double post
    "A photo is like a hamburger. You can get one from McDonalds for $1, one from Chili's for $5, or one from Ruth's Chris for $15. You usually get what you pay for, but don't expect a Ruth's Chris burger at a McDonalds price, if you want that, go cook it yourself." - me
  • PhotogPhotog Registered Users Posts: 37 Big grins
    edited February 7, 2007
    Which one of these people did you contact? Looks like someone on this list must've signed off on the graphics at some point.
    Sony DSR500WSL, Nikon D100, no apparent skills
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