![\"black-billed-magpie-6445\"](\"http:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/black-billed-magpie-6445.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nThis Black-billed Magpie image is one of my favorites, to the point that I have a large print of it hanging over my fireplace.<\/p>\n
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So try to imagine my chagrin when I found this while doing a reverse image search on Google a couple of weeks ago.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n The owner of this site:\u00a0a), has\u00a0lifted my image, b), has altered it (grossly, IMO) without my permission, c), has removed my\u00a0copyright notice on the image and now claims her own copyright on the print, and d) is offering it for sale on Etsy.<\/p>\n Here’s the link<\/strong><\/a> but I included the screenshot in case the Etsy offering somehow disappears as soon as this blog post goes live (I’ve made screen shots and copied code of everything relevant to this post). The Etsy offering of this image disappeared for a few days after this screenshot was captured but it has now reappeared with a few changes.<\/p>\n Note: as of a few minutes ago (12:55 pm on 5\/21\/13), the above link no longer works – you just get the message “Darn, this item is no longer available”.\u00a0\u00a0 Sure glad I’ve got the screen shots and the code…<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Here’s what the blurb below the image (in the link)\u00a0says now:<\/p>\n Notice that this person’s claim to copyright is now gone and that she now states that the image was “inspired by image studied at the Great Salt Lake Bird Festival”. I have never exhibited any of my images at the festival or given permission for their use at the festival.\u00a0 But to cover my bases I contacted one of the GSL Bird Festival committee members and asked her if my image had been used by the festival. This was her response: “I don’t personally remember this photo on display anywhere, and I know it’s definitely not been used on the Festival Facebook page. We try to be very careful to get permissions and to give credit when we use any photos. (Which is why we use so many state employee images.)”<\/p>\n But even if my image had <\/em> been at the festival (I’m sure\u00a0it wasn’t) it would be blatantly irrelevant. She would still have no right (legally, morally or ethically) to copy it, leave off my copyright, claim copyright on the print for herself and then sell it.<\/p>\n I have posted that image three different places online – here<\/strong><\/a>, here<\/strong><\/a> and here<\/strong><\/a>. She must have lifted the image from one of those sites.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Here’s another of my images lifted by this person.<\/p>\n It’s really not a very good image of a Chukar and her chicks but it’s one I used for a blog post on the “Chukars of Antelope Island<\/a>“.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n But apparently the owner of this site liked it so much that she lifted it from my blog, altered the image, removed my copyright logo, claimed her own copyright on the print and offered it for sale on Etsy. Below is the screenshot from about two weeks ago. Since that time this offering has been removed from Etsy.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n This person\u00a0makes the following statement on her Etsy Shop Announcement<\/strong> <\/a>– “I have been a professional artist, graphic designer, printmaker, and professor of art and ecology since 1970. My award-winning screen-prints and digital paintings are popular sellers that have won awards and recognition around the world for precision in registration and color matching.\u00a0 My latest pursuit: watercolor gicle’e digital paintings of the birds of the world. These digital prints have been selling steadily since they premiered in January 2011. “<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n This suggests to me that this\u00a0person is a professional in a field that almost by definition must be aware of copyright implications and limitations and that she’s been selling these images prolifically, including\u00a0mine without my permission, for at least 2 1\/2 years.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n She\u00a0also makes this statement on her personal website<\/strong> <\/a>– ” I have to consider the market value of everything I print these days as 25-35% of my monthly income comes from selling art– (to) supplement my TINY retirement check!” <\/span><\/em><\/p>\n <\/em>This suggests to me that this woman must think that the size of her “TINY retirement check” somehow justifies her infringement abuses of the images of others (and let it be noted that I too am trying to make ends meet on a meager teacher’s retirement check). It also makes me wonder how many images\u00a0she may have\u00a0lifted from other photographers without permission.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n This woman makes a sizeable chunk of change every month, at least part of which comes from the illicit use of my images.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Some folks seem to think that if you change the work of someone else enough<\/em> you can claim it as your own (I’m quite sure this\u00a0woman knows better) but such is not the case. This, from the U.S. Copyright Office<\/strong><\/a>:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n\n
\n Inspired by image studied at the Great Salt Lake Bird Festival.<\/span><\/em>
\n Printed on acid-free, archival watercolor paper. Signed by the Artist.<\/span><\/em>
\n Print comes in cello envelope, matted and backed ready for framing in a standard 10 x 8 inch frame.<\/span><\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n\n