Hello Everyone!
I wanted to make a quick post and explain why Daily Photo Dose hasn’t seen any recent updates, and will not be updated until sometime in the new year. Through out the last year I have unfortunately had my work stolen many times off this blog. Daily Photo Dose has never really been about making huge profits shooting landscapes, but rather sharing my perspective on my home town. When a photo is purchased as a print or digital download, it’s extra income to cover gas for driving around, or a coffee on those minus 26 mornings.
The most recent theft was kind of the final straw for me. A photo was stolen not for personal use, but to promote a commercial business. Which is why in the new year I will be researching heavily into copyright law, and will be meeting with a lawyer to confirm if it’s legal or not for people to steal photos for personal use, or worse, commercial use without any credit, or compensation to the photographer. Until that time, I will unfortunately not be posting any new photos.
To the business accused of theft, I sent a cease and desist letter for copyright infringement, and an invoice for what I would charge a commercial client to use my photo in print. The response that followed was discouraging: “Thank you for bringing this matter to my attention. I would submit to you that when you (or anyone for that matter) post downloadable images on a public domain which are not blocked from use by the general public then really you have no legal claim. Images which are copyright protected would not be for public use. Although this picture appears to be similar to the links you sent me, this obviously needs further investigation. As a retired lawyer, I will look into the issue and get back to you at my earliest convenience.”
All my images that are posted online are watermarked, encrypted with my copyright information, and the blog they are posted on has a copyright notice at the bottom of every page. In addition to that, below each image are links to purchase the photo in various formats or downloads. Canada also just reformed the copyright act, you can read more about that here.
There has been a huge amount of support from friends, family, fans, followers, other local photographers, and strangers when posting about this issue earlier on facebook! Another local photographer even offered to help pay for any legal fees! I wanted to thank you all for your support, and let you all know I can’t being to explain how much I appreciate your comments, feedback, and emails! Happy Holidays everyone, and I hope to sort this out and start posting again in the new year.
– Jaime Vedres Photography. Daily Photo Dose. | jaime.vedres@gmail.com
Stolen photo on the left, my original photo on the right.