can you show us how to create watermark on photobucket?
thanks
Michele

I just went under "edit" and added text. It's a little bit like putting text into a text box in Word. I like the transparent bigger text but couldn't figure it out in 2 minutes and had to attend to dinner!
Kristi

Maria, Good idea! Your photos are so good, I can't blame people for wanting them, but have they no conscience???!!

I did figure out how to rotate the text box. There are circle made of an arrow that sits at the top of the box. So you can make the direction of the text any way you'd like. Just stretch the box in any direction and turn in...start typing and you'll see what's happening and you can adjust as you go. I think the gray text is ok. Would like to figure out the more transparent text (like what Royal Colors uses), but I'm ok with the gray in the lower corner.
K

Well, I am not very good at this, but I do this to make a point.....anyone with any real desire can erase such a "watermark" very easily.......I will remove this from my site in the morning as I do not want to leave anyone with the wrong impression. I spent 5 minutes and it could easily be done in a couple by someone with talent and better edging......you can not keep people from stealing pics if you post them on the internet, but you can attempt more serious action which I am simply not going to bother with and I will not post in this thread again.

I am sorry that people are both so bad at growing plants and so bad at taking pics that they can not manage it on their own!!! dan
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Spent 5 minutes learning how to adjust the edging......Again, I only do this to make a point......please report if anyone takes your pics if you want to try and protect them....these will be removed from my site in the morning!!!!! dan
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Yup! It took me almost 10 minutes to do this. I'm pretty sure that a desperate criminal can delete this in a few seconds. My hubby works in the prison (feds/maximum security)and deals with them 40 hours a week. He always say that they can be very very smart but not intelligent enough to avoid the law. Justice will prevail...

Rilona...marked through photobucket but color (eye) is changed. :-(

Hi Dan! You did a good job there in making your point!

So then...all we can do it post and remove? But, if your photo isn't stored in photobucket, it will disappear from the list like Dan's should this morning.

Wish there was a way to insert files from our computers instead of from a "clearing house for theives" like PhotoBucket. Any solutions??

Kristi

Hi Kristi,

Makes no difference where it is stored......I took the pic from here to fix, not directly from PB....if it is posted on the web it can be taken.....Now, on the other hand, if you have your own web site you link to (the link, not the pic) you should be able to track every single person that logs on, what pics they look at, etc.......when I had a web business for a few years this is how you kept track of what plants people were looking at the most.....well, my brother the computer geek could anyway :o) Dan

Sorry your pics have been taken so often!!

The easiest way to grab a photo you want is to simply copy it... you would right click and save it to your own hard drive. I save photos all the time to use as ideas... however, I ask before I save it.

There is a way to disable photos from being copied... I just don't know how to do it... I'll ask Larry when he's conscious. I'm sure he knows exactly how to prevent theft.

I'm not a web expert, but I've done some publishing in the past for a professional organization I was working for, and cleaning up pictures, modify some part of them were part of my job. What Dan said is absolutely right, it is very very easy to take any picture from the web and remove just about any kind of marking it may bear. Beside, you don't even have to download it to eventually have a copy of it, just take a screen capture and there you have it on your desktop.

The only "secure" way that I know of to watermark your pictures is an electronic way, and it costs money to embed a special code that can not be seen into the picture. If the picture is stolen and modified, it will still contain the hidden embeded watermark and you can then prove that this picture is not in its rightful hands. Of course, that is if the picture was obtained by downloading it. If the picture was obtained through a screen capture, it will not contain the embeded code that you may have embeded in from the start.

In the end, I think it is safe to say that there are no ways to prevent anything from being stolen if it is on the web, a very sad but true fact. It is specially sad to see that some peoples partly build their seller's reputation stealing pics from others so they can have their product look better and sell more easily, and they do it in broad day light on one of the most widely seen site there may be: eBay.

Only my 2 cents...

Yeah, agent1xe13 is right I am afraid!! You can hide the watermark using layers on your original, but I do not know how this would move over to the internet.....likely it would not which is why you would need something more sophisticated!! I know a guy who is the head of the computer systems at a large University and he has never found a way to absolutely prevent theft so what he does is password protect his web site (which could be hacked by someone good of course) and then he allows only certain people to view it....that way he knows every click that takes place there and he can catch anyone that is stealing....beyond that I have no clue how to protect yourself. I wouldn't have a clue if any of my pics have been borrowed......I never check ebay for plants I already own so would never see them....not sure I've ever taken a pic worth stealing to be honest :o) Dan

In the end, if someone really wants a photo they view online, there's not much you can do except make it more difficult for someone to use your photo by watermarking it. Most people who steal photos don't want to go through the trouble of removing someone's name from a picture just to use it on Ebay.

Even photos that can't be saved by clicking on them can be grabbed through code... but most Ebay sellers just want to grab nice looking photos quickly to sell products with... most won't steal them if they have your name across them.

That's about it Jodi, make it more difficult for the occasional user or the ones that just want a fast shot without going through the trouble of retouching the picture. Every single photo on the Net can be saved to your hard disk, no need to use codes or anything else, just make a screen capture of your screen and this picture will appear on your hard drive in a fraction of a second, and the owner of the site will never know that you have the picture.

I don't know what computer you use, I'm on a Mac, all I have to do is "command-shift-3" and this will take a picture of my whole screen, and if I do "command-shift-4", I can use my cursor to drag across a precise size like a picture on my screen and have a shot of just that picture instead of the whole screen. If you use Windows, which I have no knowledge of, I'm sure that there are some key combinations similar to that that will allow you to do the same, there is nothing to add to your machine, it is built into your system.

And in so doing, you can have every pictures you like without having the owner of the site knowing that you have taken that picture from his site. His site log will tell him that nobody downloaded anything from his site. This can be done even in password protected sites once you have gained access to the protected page.

I'm not saying all that to encourage peoples to use this feature for doing wrong, but only to illustrate that it is very easy to take short cuts and do almost anything you like on the web.

I think that one should always consider that if you post something on the web, it becomes public and can be used/stolen/modified etc. by anyone unless it is protected with a very high degree of security like banking site and most online ordering sites are.

Laurier

My machine is a custom built model, born through the skill of my husband... we begin with bare bones cases and add the internals that suit our needs. I'm not even sure what version of Windows I'm using, except that it's not Vista... we don't care for Vista.

I've got tons of programs, most of which I don't use... Larry built this one for himself, originally, but since mine died he rebuilt it for me. He's got a newer, better one... but I don't care for his monitor, which is too dark for my eyes. He's colorblind, so it doesn't matter to him!

I don't have a problem with people using my photos... but it would be nice if they extended common courtesy and asked before swiping. Any time I've wanted to use a photo not belonging to myself, I've sent a simple email to the owner and asked if it was alright. Most are happy to share, and even happier that you took the time to ask.

I'm not sure what the legalities are, but I wouldn't think it worth it to pursue... it's just a shame some people can't treat others with respect.

I started this thread in response to Mariava's problem with another "hacker" using her photo on Ebay.

Maybe we should just write along the bottom..."Photo courtesy of John Smith, Nowhere, WI" and that would 1) give you credit and 2) not be a message someone would bother with deleting. I agree...they are looking for the quick grab. On a PC (Windows) there is a Print Scren key. I use it all the time in grabbing images for use in chemotherapy protocols. Since it's usually from the sponsoring company's literature, they approve the inclusion when they review the document and we reference it so credit is given.

Since I had the copyrighted photo used illegally - different situation than just grabbing since it was before the internet! - I have to agree that anything on Photobucket is "public". In my case, a chemical company who owned "rights of use" had the photo included in their catalog. Then the catalog printer asked me if they could use the image (underwater photo) for a 2 inch by 2 inch photo on their printing business brochure. I said "sure". No Charge. When I got the brochure it was 4x4 (4 x larger) and they put the fish in their letterhead and on coupons. Needless to say, they got a bill. When they didn't pay it, I sought legal council. They had a certain length of time to pay up...then when they finally called a month later, after another letter was sent, they had to contact the lawyer to settle. Of course, the lawyer took it on pro bono and I got $7K and they got $3K for 2 letters and probably 30 minutes of work! It's hard to prove. This image had been copyrighted through the office of coyrights and trademarks, so I had a firmer leg to stand on as I had documentation covering this one photograph. It's the only one I copyrighted "formally", but I'm glad I did.

Sorry to have rambled....good story though!
Kristi

Actually, in order to truly protect your artwork, which would be your photos, you need to pay the small fee and get a legal copyright.

We copyrighted our kennel artwork and logo years ago, so people wouldn't be able to copy any of it and use it to sell t-shirts or anything of that nature.

Regardless of how a person obtains a photo online, or what type of computer they use, the download will be logged by the server... in other words, a photo has to be downloaded into your computer in order for you to view it or use it as wallpaper, etc... the only other way to view it is to code so you're linked to its original source.

The bottom line is... it would pay for Maria to copyright her artwork... especially if she plans on using her photos to sell anything or use in an informational, educational blog or website.

"This image had been copyrighted through the office of coyrights and trademarks, so I had a firmer leg to stand on as I had documentation covering this one photograph."

Jodi - this is exactly what you mentioned, a legal copyright. Some people say, "your work is copyrighted from the time you take it, or you put (C) on it." I don't think that gives you a "true" legal copyright. Like you, I paid the small fee (seems to me that is was $50 15 years ago), and that work is protected for a span of time. An artist can copyright a collection so that they don't have to apply for each piece, and maybe that would be more appropriate here.

JMHO
K

You are all making this too complicated!!

Do a search using the following string "Photograph Copyright" and you will find the following page right at the top: http://www.copyright.gov/help/faq/faq-fairuse.html

Here is one of the FAQ:

"Is it legal to download works from peer-to-peer networks and if not, what is the penalty for doing so?
Uploading or downloading works protected by copyright without the authority of the copyright owner is an infringement of the copyright owner's exclusive rights of reproduction and/or distribution. Anyone found to have infringed a copyrighted work may be liable for statutory damages up to $30,000 for each work infringed and, if willful infringement is proven by the copyright owner, that amount may be increased up to $150,000 for each work infringed. In addition, an infringer of a work may also be liable for the attorney's fees incurred by the copyright owner to enforce his or her rights.

Whether or not a particular work is being made available under the authority of the copyright owner is a question of fact. But since any original work of authorship fixed in a tangible medium (including a computer file) is protected by federal copyright law upon creation, in the absence of clear information to the contrary, most works may be assumed to be protected by federal copyright law.

Since the files distributed over peer-to-peer networks are primarily copyrighted works, there is a risk of liability for downloading material from these networks. To avoid these risks, there are currently many "authorized" services on the Internet that allow consumers to purchase copyrighted works online, whether music, ebooks, or motion pictures. By purchasing works through authorized services, consumers can avoid the risks of infringement liability and can limit their exposure to other potential risks, e.g., viruses, unexpected material, or spyware."

As you can see and as I have said many times....as soon as the file is created, i.e., you take it electronically, it is protected by federal copyright law.....end of story!!

If you download any image you have broken the copyright of the owner.....by using it for making a profit you have simply made it worse, but the infringement is over at the right click and save step.

Hope this helps clarify anything.....by the way, this copyright office web site also tells you how to claim all of your photos at once.....you can claim an entire DVD full all at the same time with one application if you honestly feel any of your photos are of sufficient quality to warrant it.....I have never taken a photo that good in my opinion, although I have had a few compliments on my images :o) Dan

Hey guys...

Well I couldn't resist jumping into this subject as it's near and dear to my heart. As an aspiring photographer who's spent LOTS of hours taking photos AND working on them in photoshop...I'm none to fussy about people taking them in any shape form or fashion for their own use (although I would find it flattering if they used them on the desktop of their computer :-)) ). I was told (and looked into it) that all these sites like photobucket, photo.net, facebook, google blogs etc. all have within their terms of use that if you post photos to their website, you do still own them BUT they can use them as they see fit i.e. you are in essence giving them permission to use them if you post them to their website (it's their server, not yours). Sure enough when I read the fine print that is what I found out. So my question is, what supersedes what? Does that agreement void any copyright stuff? I should hope not. Because of that, I'm leery about posting my photos anywhere on the net (although I have a few up on different sites). Someone had mentioned earlier in this thread that some people would be able to find a way to doctor the photos to take the watermark out. As an avid photoshop user and one who used to process a LOT of pictures for signage at a garden center I used to work at, I had first hand experience such that I can tell you a watermark spread right across a picture cannot be "photoshopped" out that readily. For instance:

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I'd like to see if anyone could photoshop that watermark out. If they could, I'd like to see it. I doubt they could with any ease. So because of that, I'd post this photo on the net safe in the assumption that no one could take it and claim it as their own or try to doctor it up to make it look like their own. Yes, they could still steal the picture but to post it somewhere else, anyone who saw it would most likely know that they stole the picture from another site etc. The only true way to do this and be better protected would be to (like jodik says) get a legal copyright or post the pics on your own website which no one could use for any reason (i.e. as readily as photobucket and other sites where you post pics to).

So I'm considering doing to the rest of my pictures that I've done to this one...i.e. slapping the watermark over enough of the picture that it would not make it easy for someone to doctor the picture and use it/claim it as their own.

Dan (bluebonsai) is right in regards to what he mentions above however, that doesn't seem to stop people from taking the pictures though.

Okay guys...sorry for rambling on like this...but I felt compelled to jump in.

When I have time off coming up here in January I am going to go through a bunch of pics I've taken and get some of them up on here for you guys to see.

Cheers,

Gerard.

The funny thing about this "stolen pics" incidences is that the stolen pics were NOT that pretty...at all!!!

Take note: ALL of those stolen pics (both cases) were posted here in this forum. So this shows, that if you post a pic here and the name mentioned in the thread, it will show in google search.

In Dave's Garden, once you post a pic, there will be that DG mark on the picture. Members are somewhat "protected" but you have to pay a price for that. DG has an annual membership fee.

I wonder if Gardenweb is aware of this. They should at least consider giving members some protection. They anyway, make a lot of money from the advertisers even if this site is free.

The fee for a copyright is not that much, and if you have photos like Maria's, it would pay to obtain that copyright.

It would also be worth it to do a little doctoring in Photoshop.

A legal copyright simply makes it easier to prove theft and obtain retribution, if that's how you want to proceed... and using a watermark simply makes it a bit more difficult for photo thieves to use photos easily.

Not many will want to go through all the steps necessary to remove a watermark just to use the photo on Ebay... they'll look for another photo to nab.

But for such lovely artwork as Maria and Soultan, and others, offer for our viewing pleasure, it would be worth the small fee to protect it all with a legal copyright. To date, no one has used our kennel logo or artwork without our permission... so the fee was money well spent.

I can imagine how frustrating it must be to find someone else using one of your photos without your permission, or even without giving you credit. I do enjoy saving onto my computer copies of interesting pics that I find online, but I never claim that they're mine. On the occasion that I do embed a pic in a message, I usually say that I "found this through a Google search," or something to that effect.

For example, I found this picture of the Amaryllis at the top of my wish list, "Double Dragon," through a Google Image Search:
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The downside to this is that sometimes the pic gets moved (or removed) and my message is stuck with the dreaded "red X"....

Here is a link that might be useful: Link to the original pic