I know, it’s a never-ending struggle.
But after spending a very frustrating day hunting down copies of our photos and texts on the web, I wanted to at least explain…
It is clearly marked in several places on this site that “All photos and texts on this site are protected by copyright law. The photos and illustrations are, unless otherwise stated, the property of Marie-Aude Koiransky / Pacamny.com. The reproduction or representation, in whole or in part, of the pages, data and any other element constituting the site, by any process or medium whatsoever, is prohibited and constitutes without written permission of the publisher and the author, an infringement.” And in particular there
That seems clear to me, doesn’t it? Just because a page is on the net doesn’t mean it’s a call to help yourself. Royalty-free” content (usable and reusable at will) is not prejudged, it must be clearly indicated. Anything that is not marked “royalty-free” or “licensed under Creative Commons” cannot be reused without our permission. And the right to quote is limited exclusively to a few sentences, one or two lines at the most, accompanied by the source and the author’s name. Under French law, the right to quote does not apply to images: you cannot reuse, modify or crop one of our images without our permission.
And this is just as valid under Moroccan law. You know it well, Moroccan friends, the first to shout about your right to image (which I respect), to ask for money for the slightest street photo where you might be seen? I respect it, so please respect my right as a photographer and author.
What does that mean in practically?
Any unauthorised use that goes beyond the limits of the quote will be prosecuted. Authorisations for commercial activities of any kind will be charged, with a minimum of 500 euros for a photo or for a text (so a photo and a text, 1,000 euros). Is that a lot? Maybe, but I’m the seller, I set the prices. You use, you buy, you pay….
Is that a lot? Not so much, actually.
Let’s start with the texts.
I spent a lot of time making this site.
I took the time to research the information, to cross-check it, to eliminate errors, and to re-write it, so that it was my own words.
I also tried to optimise the pages to rank well in Google.
It works, because you came to this site, you found it easily… we have more than 40,000 visitors per month, and on many queries, we come out on the first page.
And when you copy and paste, you get the result in 5 seconds. Do you think this is normal?
Imagine that you have a restaurant. You see another restaurant across the street, you like their plates, you take them…
What do you call that?
Copying our texts is the same thing. A professional writer costs money, you take over work that you have neither done nor paid for. And what’s more, “you” are usually direct competitors.
And you’re hurting us, too (just Google “duplicate content” and you’ll see).
The number of web agencies that take the liberty of copying our most-read posts when they create a site for our competitors…
For images, photos, it’s even worse.
A friend of mine, also a photographer, once spoke of a feeling of rape when she sees her images used without her consent. Without going that far, it’s an odious thing.
If you are not a photographer, if you are just looking for pretty pictures for your website or blog, do you think it’s easy, that it only takes a second to take a picture? Then do the same….
I have been taking pictures for more than 20 years. During these fifteen years, I have practiced, I have read books, magazines, I have done training courses, I have gone to exhibitions. I have trained my eye and my technique. If I am able today to make (sometimes) “the right photo” in a second, it is thanks to all these years. Photography is like any other craft, a question of practice.
It’s also a question of equipment. Not only, of course, but still… I have invested in equipment that allows me to take pictures in many difficult situations. In situations where film doesn’t allow me to react as easily. I also have a computer, an image processing software license, an external hard drive for backup, a burner, a cumbersome screen that allows me to correctly process an image without colorimetry problems… and the time spent learning how to use all this. Again, technique, time, and money. And it’s all part of what makes it possible to take a picture “in a second”.
When you have spent the same amount of time as I have, you will have understood that all this is not the main thing.
Making a photo is about showing how you see the world. How we interpret it, what we find beautiful, ugly, shocking, exciting. In my portraits there is my way of seeing and loving the people I show. In my landscapes, in the flowers, in my objects, there is my vision, my sensitivity. Not yours. When you take my image, it’s a bit of me that you take, and that’s what makes me so angry.
Finally, one last thing: the legal aspects.
The exclusivity of texts
Beyond the “pleasure of sharing”, there is an economic activity, which takes place only on the web. Taking a text and copying it in its entirety is detrimental to this activity and reduces the work of referencing. Unique content” is a rare commodity. You are not me, nor Bernard, nor Philippe.
Photo exclusivity
I am a photographer. I make a living from selling my photos. Some clients want exclusive images, and are willing to pay for them. As long as my images remain on our websites, I can remove them from one day to the next if I need them. When you copy them on your site, without mentioning the rights, you throw them in the wild… and God knows where they will end up! You are wrong, once again.
Image rights
I respect people’s image rights. When necessary (ask me) I have authorizations for publication. They can be limited, notably to a website, or to a mode of use. By using these images, you do not respect the image rights of these people. If a woman has agreed to let me paint her portrait and show it, she may not give you permission.
I have wanted for a long time not to spoil the pictures with a watermark. This is unfortunately necessary. The pages of this site are protected by Copyscape, the watermarks and tags will appear as they go along. It’s a shame…
Once again, all the photos and texts on this site are protected by copyright law. The photos and illustrations are, unless otherwise stated, the property of Marie-Aude Koiransky. The reproduction or representation, in whole or in part, of the pages, data and any other element of the site, by any process or medium whatsoever, is prohibited and constitutes without written permission of the publisher and the author, an infringement. Any unauthorized use, not falling within the scope of the quotation, and for commercial activity, will be charged a minimum of 500 euros. Any non-commercial use that is not promptly removed or modified will be charged in the same way. The Web is not a place where there are no rights and no fees.
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