Website Using Photos Of Your Coins Without Permission?

I think I was taught somewhere in grade 4 or 5 that if you copied or referenced an idea, picture, graph or something you didn't come up with on your own you had to make cite the source. Now I like the C&C site and I think it's a great educational tool to look at the coins and see what they look like...

I have in fact opened one window with the pictures on that site and had the powerpoint from Mr. Marshall and tried to do a comparative to learn the differences between "real" and fake coins...

I honestly don't think you have much to get mad about.. I personally would be happy if one of my photos was up on that site.. but I think it wouldn't be too far of a stretch to show the source of the photo.. or give credit where credit is due.

DBM.. I'm curious as to what other site you made reference to.. and if it's still around... I personally am on this educational kick... for the next year I`m going to try to limit my purchases of coins to no more than 5 per year but instead I want to focus on my educational library and find some (other) good web sites from which I can learn a whole lot more about this hobby... (if you don`t feel comfortable mentioning the site here in the open would you mind PM`ing me... )

Are you talking about the website itself or about the forum part of it?

At least, it was really uncensored like the french version is.

I am not sure how things are in Canada, but in the United States you do not have to state copyright at the time of the original post or when you took the picture. The law automatically protects you with a copyright by the very fact that you created it. You invest your own time, money, equipment, training and effort to create something so it is protected, and you get to decide what to do with it.

Now there are certain things that are not protected, for example, I can't take a picture of a public domain painting and get a new copyright on it.

If there are ads on the page they are getting a profit when people browse the image, so the whole education thing is out.

But like I said, that is in America and I don't know how it is in Canada.

CCF does this for you, automatically. If you have a look down the bottom of this thread - and every thread of CCF - you'll find this little notice:


If they didn't ask you, and they didn't ask the CCF admins, then they are in violation. If you object to your picture (or any other picture from CCF, for that matter) being stolen and used elsewhere, send a complaint with details of the picture and the picture-thief to the forum admins here at CCF and they can pursue it.

thanks, at this point I am not interested in pursuing any "action". I sent them a note directing them to this thread, it will be interesting to see if they respond (so far they haven't). I'm actually more ticked off about the no reply then the image issue!

an immediate reply with an apology or explanation, or any sort of acknowledgement would've gone a long way... now I'm left sitting wondering if they just feel entitled and don't feel the need to reply (typically people who "borrow without asking" find some way to justify it). I'm also wondering how many of their other images are actually "theirs"...

as far as revenue... ad revenue, book sales, and links to coin shops...

.

Actually, there's no "them" or "they", Lightw4re being the one and only owner and administrator of both french and english sites.

A lot of people are trying to reach him for various reasons, but no one seems to be able to get a grip on him.

There's a few moderators, but they basically make sure the threads stay clean. Otherwise, like us, they don't have a clue of what's going on behind the scenes, and don't have any other power.


About the picture issue, I think we should always ask the permission to use a picture, or at least, and for educational/recreational purposes only, mention the source of the picture.
If those pictures are yours Wade, and not let's say other pictures of the same coin, then you're totally entitled to ask whatever you want, either to be mentioned as owner of the pictures or to pull them off the site.


Someone has to try over and over again to take good pictures of coins made of various metals, in various grade/condition, with different strikes, etc. to really understand and appreciate the work behind it.
And if you can copy/paste a photo, don't tell me you cannot copy/paste at least the link to it.
That's really the least you can do.

Personnaly, I'm pretty mad when someone "borrows" one of my picture without any asking, or mention, or link...
On the other hand, when politely asked, and of course always in a educational/recreational purpose, I will share them with pleasure.

I don't know what Canadian law is on the subject, but if I recall correctly a US coin image cannot be copyrighted anyway, unless there is creative addition made to the image.