It’s very easy for someone to take images that are on the Internet and use them without paying for them. Sometimes it’s deliberate theft; sometimes it’s honest ignorance. But whatever the motivation behind the misuse, it’s been difficult for content owners to take advantage of the protection afforded by the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA).
Now the stock photography company Dreamstime has added a feature that helps its contributors call foul on such theft by notifying owners of websites on which the illegal images appear that they’re violating the DMCA. Mere notification won’t step hardened thieves, of course, but it will educate the ignorant and prompt them to fix their mistake by removing the photo.
The notification process goes like this: If you find an image used without the proper license, you go to the new Report misusage page (accessible from Dreamstime’s Management Area) site and enter the image identification number, the necessary license, and the address of the offending website.
In a message board post, the Dreamstime staff spells out a few more details and some caveats to keep in mind.
This article was last modified on December 14, 2022
This article was first published on August 17, 2011
Commenting is easier and faster when you're logged in!
Recommended for you
InDesign Magazine Issue 129: RGB vs. CMYK
We’re happy to announce that InDesign Magazine Issue #129 (January 2020) is now...
GREP and Text Metacharacter Cheat Sheet
Grab this handy one-page PDF that lists all of the Text and GREP metacharacters...
Typing Tab in a Table Cell
Need to type a tab inside a table cell? Here's the tip you were looking for!