Let's be On the Lookout For Picture Kidnapping!!

[noxen]

whats the big deal? its an avatar, hes not selling anything with it..

[Biff]

Originally posted by Anthony Orosco
Well I have now adopted the habit of inserting into my pictures something called a "Digital Watermark". I am now also applying my business name and year to each photo.

The digi-mark is applied through my Adobe Photoshop 7.0

It's suppossed to be in this picture but not viewable, not sure if that is correct just yet but you can also see in the bottom left my business name and year,

Anthony

Just to play Devil's advocate for a minute; I don't think the digital watermark does anything. When I saved your picture and looked for any additional information in the file, there was none, and your company name and year is easily photoshoped out.

I don't think there is much you can do to prevent picture theft save for watermarking it, which destroys the look of the picture (see next post with picture). How about including a business card or something like your company vehicle or a small posterboard with your logo on it in each shot, when you take each picture? They won't be easy to photoshop out and would be a nice touch to identify your work. Better yet, set your camera to timer, and put yourself in each shot. Nobody can claim that as their own but you.

[Biff]

watermark sample

[edschwab1]

Originally posted by Biff
How about including a business card or something like your company vehicle or a small posterboard with your logo on it in each shot, when you take each picture? They won't be easy to photoshop out and would be a nice touch to identify your work. Better yet, set your camera to timer, and put yourself in each shot. Nobody can claim that as their own but you.

Scottwax does this a lot of times. You can see his accord in many of picture. Also, many people take pictures in their driveways, thus showing a unique identifier.

What is the digital watermark suppose to do? Prevent the image from being saved or manipulated?

Copyright discussion from VWVORTEX.
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10 Big copyright myths

Eric

[Anthony Orosco]

Biff,

Hey thanks for bringing that to my attention. I'll look into the reason why it did not watermark, maybe I zigged when I should of zagged?

Thanks again,
Anthony

[Scottwax]

Originally posted by Myles
still wish he asked, but anyway

I do know that BretFraz had the courtesy to PM me to know if it was okay if he used the picture of my neighbor's truck when he caked wax all over it. I appreciated his honesty and was flattered he wanted to use it.

[Lynn]

Conversely, I've been surprised to see some folks duplicating other members' avatars. To me, the avatar is sort of like our "public face" or something, and it's just kinda weird when I see a long-time member's avatar by a newcomer's post -- but some folks will just copy them without asking permission, I guess.

[Scottwax]

I think I now have all the pictures on my website marked. Now I need to go through my photohost gallery too.

[Redcar GUY]

Originally posted by Scottwax
I think I now have all the pictures on my website marked. Now I need to go through my photohost gallery too.

still can be done....

[Scottwax]

Originally posted by Redcar GUY
still can be done....

True, but I can post the original, uncropped picture and they can't.

I could always put the watermark in the middle of the picture, but I don't want to do that.

[chpsk8]

Try to put your watermark over a complicated part of the image. Otherwise it's fairly simple for even a rookie to steal it.

[Mmmph]

I agree