I own a web-based retail outlet selling books and we photograph the book covers (with the publishers' permission) to create images to go alongside the product descriptions on the website. I have become aware of a competitior in the market "stealing" my images (I know they're mine as I mark them discreetly!) for their own website. Cheeky! As you can imagine, I'm rather annoyed by this and would like to know how best to confront them to ask them not to use my work.
Many thanks for your time!
2006-10-28 20:35:10 · 12 answers · asked by Anonymous in Business & Finance ➔ Small Business
I would send them an email, and state that you wish them to remove your images immediately.
State that they have broken copyright law and the images belong to you.
If they continue to use them contact a solicitor and ask him to write to them, this will usually sort the problem out.
2006-10-29 00:14:27 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
On principle you have "a case" and I understand your annoyance however... what is posted on the internet (images, information etc.) is considered as being in the public domain. Unless you have copyrights on the work yourself, you cannot do much about it and, in this case, the images are of book covers therefore it is up to the publisher and the author of each book to take legal action for infringements. As you know it is very easy to copy an image on or from a website, but if you add a little banner at the top or bottom of the picture before you post it, which would show your company name, or put it across diagonally, it will make him or her look pretty stupid advertizing someone else's company and if they try to modify it or remove the banner they will lose most of the image. You place it in such a way that if they try to remove the banner they will lose most of the book cover image if they use an editor. Apply some transparency for the customer to still view and identify the cover. You say you already "mark" them so this won't be much more work (once you have designed the "banner") than what you already do but it will give THEM a headache trying to use/modify/fix yours.
2006-10-29 09:35:29 · answer #2 · answered by argeesoftware 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
If you reserve the copyright to the web site, you can sue them. If you can't afford a lawyer, some city/town have volunteers. If you have registered your business in your city/town, they might be able to tell you what to do as well.
You also need to report this to the publishers. They might do something about it.
I didn't think about this before but I was just researching something on BBB (Better Business Bureau) and you can file a complaint on their web site. Go to the site below and click on ">Business" under "FILE A COMPLAINT" on the top centre of the page. They accept the business to business complaint.
2006-10-29 02:51:25 · answer #3 · answered by fortuna0820 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
you threaten them with an internet lawyer. Do a search for law firms specializing in internet law and then use their name in your correspondence with the butt-heads and include the link.
They will not know if you really paid the lawyer or not but with their name being mentioned and the link being included, they might assume you have and stop being butt-heads.
2006-10-29 02:43:07 · answer #4 · answered by lkclean 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
very simple, contact an attorney who specializes in the field of internet law and copyright law. Next contact the federal trade commission www.ftc.gov and www.bbb.org for assistance.
www.jewishjewels.org
2006-10-29 02:44:03 · answer #5 · answered by aguyinthewoods 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You can sue them if you have copy righted your images
2006-10-29 05:54:31 · answer #6 · answered by Theresa 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Contact a solicitor, and let him or her confront them, or try a base ball bat. ;)
2006-10-29 04:17:53 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
get a lawyer
2006-10-29 02:46:33 · answer #8 · answered by viking_transplant 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
that is supposed to be coppy right so no one can copy as far as I know.
2006-10-29 02:39:49 · answer #9 · answered by rauma_raumamary 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Try here for advice:
http://www.legalzoom.com/
2006-10-29 09:24:02 · answer #10 · answered by Bryn T 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋