Why Steal?
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The ease of saving images off of the web has caused a very
real problem for artists and content providers alike. If
you have placed your intellectual property on the web chances
are that sooner or later someone is going to 'borrow' a little
bit of it... without your permission.
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Why would anyone want to steal graphics or bandwidth?
These are really two separate questions but I think the answer to
both can be tied together. Sometimes it is done through ignorance. Newbies
to the web are often under the mis-conception that if it's posted to a web
site then it's free for the taking. Many will gleefully surf the web in
search of graphics for their own web sites, assuming that when they find it,
no matter where they find it, it is permissible to download and use the file
for their own. Others will be unaware of the concept of downloading a graphic
and will link directly to it from their web page. They have no idea that this
is can cause potential harm to the creator of the graphic.
Then we have the next level of graphic 'borrower'. This is the person who
believes the art work is free for the taking but is aware of bandwidth.
Knowing that they are at their own bandwidth limits they will link to a
graphic rather than installing it on their own server , to save themselves
money. Most of these people would probably not be concerned to learn they
were stealing a graphic... after all... they're already stealing bandwidth,
are aware of it and don't care, so what's a graphic here or there. These
people should probably be lumped in with the last category.
The last category is the one that does us all harm, by their mere
attitudes. They are aware of copyright laws, aware of bandwidth usage,
aware they are taking something without permission, and simply don't care.
What should you do if you find your creation on someone else's web?
Don't send them an irate letter, and don't threaten them. Since so many of these
instances are done through ignorance, a calm, polite request that the graphic be
removed will often produce the desired results. A threatening letter could well
set the stage for a long drawn out battle between the two of you.
You can rename the pilfered graphic, leaving them with a broken image on their site,
or you can replace it with a different graphic. No pornography please.... you want
to stop them from using your images, not get yourself in trouble.
How to Tell if Someone is Stealing
Purloining and Pilfering
A Brief Look at Copyright Law
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