Copyright; content creation and theft.

This will primarily focus on image theft, but can just as easily be applied to any content – digital or physical. Artist is proven to enhance society and culture, yet the theft of artistic content – writing, video, photographic, drawn, digitally created – whatever the medium, is reducing the number of artists, and therefore works, available to our culture.

Once over the theft of images was pretty rare and was usually carried out by people wanting a nice screensaver, but I have noticed in recent years that the theft has become more blasé.

A photographer friend of mine, rather gifted in Equestrian photography, was the first victim I can recall knowing personally. His images were not only stolen by another photographer, but the thief would also remove my friend’s copyright and watermark, replacing them with his own. Even the thief’s logo mimicked my friend’s. Just when my friend felt he had that under control a well-known magazine published an image belonging to him without consent or payment.

A few years ago digital content was lifted directly from a sports website that I know. This time it was video – an exclusive interview, and rather distinctive. I then spotted the still of the video on another sports site, there was no crediting given, no link back to the source, and I knew that the second sports site had not sought permission from the first to use a still.

Last week a large TV company had one of their exclusive video interviews not only lifted from their website, but the logo on the top of the screen was covered over and a transcript of the interview published. Despite the well-known interviewer the thief-site still did not credit the TV Company until they were challenged.

Finally this week I discovered via Pixsy.com that I was a victim of this same fraud, not once, not twice but 11 times! Given that I have over 3000 images on my websites this is a remarkably low number, however spread over more than 5 years it has cost me more than £30,000 in lost revenue. While I have been struggling to make ends meet others have been earning more than £87,739.67 per week using just one of my images on their website.

The challenge now remains to get payment for past use of these images and to either licence them going forward or have the images taken down with immediate effect should those using the images illegally not wish to pay any further.

My first port of call will always be to contact the offender and invoice them for the usage so far. I will also always offer an option of licence for future time or take the content down voluntarily. If they do not want to licence going forward, and do not take the content down I issue a DMCA takedown notice to the web host, forcing the content removal.

If the offender ignores the invoice, or acknowledges the theft but still refuses to pay I am not afraid to use all legal avenues to pursue thieves and recover monies. I have an excellent team of IP solicitors who recover their fees from the individuals concerned regardless of the country they are in.

So will these thefts stop me putting my images onto my websites?

Well, no. I am a very good photographer. I have a natural eye – I have never been trained. I need to live, I need to pay my bills, I need to support my family. I have professional equipment and legal insurance to pay for. To live I need to sell my work and my service. To make sales I need to advertise.

It is worth noting that I take every precaution to prevent theft of my work. All images contain a watermark, all images contain the copyright status ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, all images have EXIF data with my contact details, location the image was loaded to, ownership, creation date, copyright information, etc.

Usage and Licencing

The use of photographic images is a complex one. Most photographers I know are extremely reasonable and negotiate usage rights and charges when they are contacted before the image is used. For example; I was approached by a sub section of a large charity and asked if they could have an image I took at one of their events. There were a number of factors I took in to the decision I made to allow them one of my images in exchange for credit and copyright notification without charge (with other limitations).

Another exception is my significant other, a sports journalist. He has access to my sports images for his website without charge as it is in the family interest to ensure that we both make a good living to support us all, but even he still has to credit and copyright me.

On one of my sites, and on my Getty page, those looking to use an image can use an online calculator to get an idea of the cost of licencing the image. I believe in fair and clear licencing.

Photographers face enough drain on their income with hobbyists taking images for free and giving them away, without having their own images stolen.

If you still don’t believe it is fair to pay someone to use content they have created I have a few suggestions;

•  See if the photographer has loaded the image to a stock photography site (these can be cheaper than buying direct)
• Ask a hobbyist to recreate the image for you (assuming that the image creation isn’t IP protected)
• Recreate the photo yourself (see above codicil)
• Find another image that you like which someone is willing to give away

However if the image is so good you have to have it and nothing else will do, even if it means stealing it, then it is more than good enough to pay for. Contact the artist and talk to them.

Until content and digital theft becomes as unpalatable as drink driving, or smoking in a confined public space this battle will continue to rage, with those found to be stealing content facing heavy bills. Companies such as Pixsy.com and Intellectual Property law firms will become content creators first port of call rather than last.

Sensor Cleaning

NOTE: - READ WHOLE ARTICLE THEN CLEAN

While I was researching a sensor loupe I came across a review of a related, excellent product I have used for years. The review read:

"...If you use too much liquid it dries as very obvious spots; too little liquid and you have visible smears. Despite using the recommended liquid and, in the end, all the swabs I never got a sensor I was even vaguely happy ..."

This has happened to me, but purely due to my own inexperience. I mean - sensor cleaning - how hard can it be? Right?

Well, it's not hard, but it is tricky.

Before you start make sure you have the right equipment

I use the following

     from Visible Dust

• 1.0x Orange Swabs
• 1.0x Green Swabs
• VDust fluid
• Dust Snapper
• Quasar Sensor Loupe

     from Giotto 

• Q.Ball Air Blower

A micro-fiber cloth (any will work)

And a lens/sensor brush (make unknown, bought it years ago)

Check you need to clean. f/22 shows up dust and debris best. shoot a light coloured ares (the ceiling works well here)

Now to the cleaning - REMEMBER follow manufacturers guidelines

As the review quoted above said - too much cleaning fluid = spots, however, too little does not cause smears. Smears are mainly caused by swabs being reused. Think about a piece of kitchen roll, you use it to wipe up some spilt red wine, and now you use the same piece of kitchen roll to remove a spill on your cream carpet. What's going to happen? You're going to transfer the red wine and make matters worse. So the solution is simple - use a swab, then bin it! Using 3 swabs to clean a sensor properly is much cheaper than trying to clean the sensor with just one swab and introducing smears.

For the record the one time I introduced smears like this it took 8 swabs to clean up my mess!

Smears can also be caused by the swab coming in to contact with the wall around the sensor. Oil or debris are picked up and transfered as you 'clean'.

There are many excellent guidelines and "How-To's" out there, but my favourite is;

http://visibledust.com/help_troubleshooting.php

(Select "Wet Cleaning Manual (pfd)")

My Technique

Using my sensor loupe I examine the mirror (very carefully!! Watch your eyes!!) and the sensor.

I then conduct a dry clean (blower & brush) of the mirror and sensor. Sometimes I have to use a dry swab on the mirror to remove stubborn specks.

I like to lean my camera downover allowing debris I brush or blow out to fall naturally on the Dust Snapper.

With a sensor loupe you can also spot fine hairs caught in the seams of the camera. You don't have to remove these as they shouldn't interfere with images. However if, like me, you can't stand ANY debris around your mirror and sensor these can be removed with a pair of tweezes and a VERY steady hand. If you are no good at Operation it's best to avoid doing this.

Now check again with the sensor loupe. If there is still evidence of debris present this is the time to wet clean.

1. I take a swab and add 2 drops of fluid towards the bottom of the swab, but still on the flat of the swab. I don't squeeze the bottle, I allow the drops to fall naturally. I find this avoides over saturation
2. In one movement run the swab over the sensor. Take the loupe and view. If the sensor is clear then your done (give yourself a round of applause). 
3. If specks can still be seen throw away the used swab and repeat the above steps until the sensor is clean.

If smears do appear do not panic. You can rectify it, but you must be patient and repeat the steps. All that has happened is that one of the swabs has had some debris on it. It happens to the best of us. You may need to buy additional fluid (such as Visible Dust's Smear Away)

Once the sensor is clean replace the lens and take another photo on f/22 - Yay!! It's clean!!

Now go and shoot!!

I don't want to clean!

It can be daunting to clean your own sensor. Some local camera shops and photography groups run workshops to demonstrate sensor cleaning. My "local" is WEX

If you still don't want to clean your own sensor, then you can contact your local photography store and ask them to recommend someone, or you can contact the manufacturer for their cleaning service.

A local reputable cleaner will probably need your camera for 24hrs and cost around £50. Using the manufacturer's service means your camera may have to be sent away for a longer period of time and may be significantly more costly.

In summary ...

The best of us get debris in our cameras. There is no way to stop it, but there are ways to limit it.

• When cleaning your camera, clean your lenses too, with the same care and dilligence.
• When changing lenses use a blower to ensure both the lens and the chamber are clear.
• As you change the lens point the camera down over (limiting debris 'falling in' to the camera)
• Regularly check the state of the mirror and sensor by taking a photo at f/22 on a light coloured back ground (ceiling shots).