WARNING: stolen children's photos

Hugh_C

Hi,

Just wanted to alert photogs in here who take kids' pictures and post them publicly (flickr, pixie etc). My attention was brought to a few pictures of my son (then aged about 8) posted to a blogger site, a copyright violation, along with a large collection of other boys. While none of the pictures were suggestive or contain nudity, I got a very uncomfortable feeling about the blogger site and immediately requested they be taken down. The request was ignored.

I then discovered that there were links on this creep's site to pedo sites, very unpleasant.

Cut a long story short, I tried to get blogger (owned by google) to get the site closed down, no luck. There was (and still isn't to my knowledge) any way to complain to Google about the misuse of kids' pictures specifically, you have to go through the hoops of copyright violation.

Anyway, there's now a group on Facebook called Links for Change which is campaigning for action, and there has been some success. For those of you with a Facebook account, please consider joining up at

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=120993354589865

Thanks Hugh_C

charybdis

3) Working with legislators to push for legislation that will help to protect children and their images online.

Really?

I'm glad someone is thinking of the children, but doesn't anyone else see this as unrealistic and likely to cause other problems without actually impinging upon its targets?

Trev M

The OP is worrying and I feel sorry for you, hope you get the issue resolved, if it was me Id be pretty upset best of luck. To be honest Ive always been surprised at how freely people post up images of their children.

Hugh_C

charybdis wrote: »

Really?

I'm glad someone is thinking of the children, but doesn't anyone else see this as unrealistic and likely to cause other problems without actually impinging upon its targets?

The aim at the moment seems to be getting cooperation from Google so it's a much simpler process to report misuse of the images.

My images were watermarked as were most of the other stolen images, didn't bother the person who misused them.

Why do you think it's likely to cause other problems, and which problems specifically?

Kintarō Hattori

Hugh_C wrote: »

...Cut a long story short, I tried to get blogger (owned by google) to get the site closed down, no luck. There was (and still isn't to my knowledge) any way to complain to Google about the misuse of kids' pictures specifically, you have to go through the hoops of copyright violation.

That's insane, you'd imagine they'd jump on this straight away. It's not like it'd take much effort on their part to see where the links go.

I know when I had a problem with my images appearing on other Flickr users photostreams they were very quick to delete those accounts if the requests to remove images weren't complied with.

I have to say I'm surprised and disappointed Google haven't done more on your behalf.

Ricky91t

Hugh, I don't mean to be rude, But you uploaded them to the internet.. What did you expect?

If I were you limit things like this to friends and family, Is it worth getting comments from people you barely know(your flickr contacts and flickr users) and at the same time allowing anyone to view photo's of your child?

Don't get me wrong, If I had children i'd hate this, Butat the end of the day flickr is a huge website with a lot of traffic..

Fenster

I'm not unsympathetic, but any new legislation will be a double-edged sword. It literally takes five minutes to compose and send off a DMCA request to Google, although it may take a few days for somebody to take a look at it. If you need any assistance in sending it please don't hesitate to give me a shout as I have some little experience in that area.

charybdis

Hugh_C wrote: »

The aim at the moment seems to be getting cooperation from Google so it's a much simpler process to report misuse of the images.

My images were watermarked as were most of the other stolen images, didn't bother the person who misused them.

Why do you think it's likely to cause other problems, and which problems specifically?

I don't think the offender in this case cares about copyright infringement so watermarks are unlikely to deter him. If you really want Google to take it down quickly, file a DMCA takedown request on the grounds that those images are your intellectual property; at very least Google will remove your images from the site and will probably investigate other infringement afterwards.

Although the site doesn't say it specifically, I'm assuming they are intending to push for additional legislation "to protect children and their images online". Given that there are already laws dealing with the proliferation of indecent images of children, I'm not sure what measures they are talking about. In all likelihood, the only avenue I can see them using is to push for a mandatory internet filter, like the one in Australia.

Hugh_C

Ricky91t wrote: »

Hugh, I don't mean to be rude, But you uploaded them to the internet.. What did you expect?

At no stage did I or will I say that it was a wise thing to do. The fact remains that they were uploaded and stolen.

However what disappoints me is that Google are so, I guess pathetic would be appropriate, when it comes to the ease of reporting. blogger hides behind a freedom of speech statement

This is an initiative to change things, I'm not looking for your sympathy Ricky, I'm just trying to raise awareness. I'm also 100% aware of the friends and family on flickr, but not all the people I'd like to show those pics to (elderly relations or non-tech) are flicrr-savvy. Get my drift?

Hugh_C

charybdis wrote: »

If you really want Google to take it down quickly, file a DMCA takedown request on the grounds that those images are your intellectual property; at very least Google will remove your images from the site

Have you tried filing a DMCA? I did and discovered how long it takes. Weeks. I'm not kidding. What was the outcome? The images remained in place for those intervening weeks.

Ricky91t

Hugh_C wrote: »

At no stage did I or will I say that it was a wise thing to do. The fact remains that they were uploaded and stolen.

However what disappoints me is that Google are so, I guess pathetic would be appropriate, when it comes to the ease of reporting. blogger hides behind a freedom of speech statement

This is an initiative to change things, I'm not looking for your sympathy Ricky, I'm just trying to raise awareness. I'm also 100% aware of the friends and family on flickr, but not all the people I'd like to show those pics to (elderly relations or non-tech) are flicrr-savvy. Get my drift?

Sorry, I just quickly read over the post and must of read it wrong!

I have to say, It seems in more recent years, The bigger websites are actually impossible to find emails/contact forms and I've just given up attemping to contact any companies like that if I need to.

I understand what you mean about who you'd like to show the photos, It's ashame that people are prepared to set up organizations for something that should really be handled by the company who hosts the material.

PCPhoto

on one hand I'm in agreeance with you that images of children should not be taken from a website EVER...infact no-one should be allowed copy/take another persons work.

on the other hand.... if civil rights lobbyists and general do - gooders jump on board there could end out being restrictions on photographing kids...or uploading them online (even if they are your own) ...granted this is an extreme case but I can see it being the road that this will take.

I work sometimes taking photos of schoolkids playing football - these images are only ever put online when someone wants to purchase from me.... I kinda agree with Ricky.... and this is one of the many reasons why I dont put pics (personal or work) online !!! ...its too easy and its socially acceptable to rob them.

the_syco

Have you done a whois on the site to see who owns it, their address, and their phone number? Don't forget to block your own number if you ring them...

Hugh_C

the_syco wrote: »

Have you done a whois on the site to see who owns it, their address, and their phone number? Don't forget to block your own number if you ring them...

Yep, one of the sites (not blogger) was in Vietnam.

photo.zing.vn

Used google translation ironically to send them a message.

Fajitas!

My attention was brought to a few pictures of my son (then aged about 8) posted to a blogger site, a copyright violation, along with a large collection of other boys. While none of the pictures were suggestive or contain nudity, I got a very uncomfortable feeling about the blogger site and immediately requested they be taken down. The request was ignored.

I then discovered that there were links on this creep's site to pedo sites, very unpleasant.

That's all sorts of f*cked up. :-/

Unfortunately, at the moment, raising awareness with others as you're doing seems to be the best thing to do. I hate when something so innocent as a parents photos of their kids is put into such a horrible context.

sineadw

Ugh.. I'm sorry Hugh. This really sucks.

It's really crap that parents feel dodgy putting shots of their kids up online. I post them. I'm of the opinion that if you follow the logic of not ever, you may as well have your children walk to school with a paper bag on their head. And never let them out otherwise. Just in case. Paedophiles exist off the internet after all (jesus in hindsight I remember at least two I had regular contact with - thank god I wasn't targetted!). And the sad truth is they have much more explicit material to look at than shots of my youngfellas at family gatherings.

There really *really* needs to be a process whereby if you find links to your shots like this they're taken down immediately. Otherwise we're going to have a society that never ever photographs kids. And that'd be really sad.

I hope this doesn't stop you posting shots of the boys Hugh..

smelltheglove

Is the site you mentioned the blog? Sorry I'm on the phone so little hard to check.

I never mentioned here but a few weeks back a man was caught taking pictures in my daughters playschool yard from an 8ft wall! Thankfully she wasn't there but obviously kids don't need to be naked for these scumbags to enjoy looking at them!

Hugh_C

smelltheglove wrote: »

Is the site you mentioned the blog? Sorry I'm on the phone so little hard to check.

I never mentioned here but a few weeks back a man was caught taking pictures in my daughters playschool yard from an 8ft wall! Thankfully she wasn't there but obviously kids don't need to be naked for these scumbags to enjoy looking at them!

Hope he was charged!

The site I was talking about was a blogger website - *****.blogspot.com which is hosted (and owned presumably) by google. The user had clones of this site elsewhere and the images were also lifted wholesale off flickr and put up on http://photo.zing.vn

It's my impression that Asian sites in particular have little regard for copyright conventions, however with some group pressure from the facebook group mentioned elsewhere in this thread, the zing.vn sites have been taken down and google has been contacted with a request to make it a lot easier to flag inappropriate use of child images.

That facebook group is

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=120993354589865

if you're interested.

smelltheglove

Hugh_C wrote: »

Hope he was charged!

The site I was talking about was a blogger website - *****.blogspot.com which is hosted (and owned presumably) by google. The user had clones of this site elsewhere and the images were also lifted wholesale off flickr and put up on http://photo.zing.vn

It's my impression that Asian sites in particular have little regard for copyright conventions, however with some group pressure from the facebook group mentioned elsewhere in this thread, the zing.vn sites have been taken down and google has been contacted with a request to make it a lot easier to flag inappropriate use of child images.

That facebook group is

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=120993354589865

if you're interested.

They never got him, ran after him but by the time they got around the back there was ni sign of him.

Any chance of pming me the address for me to check? Getting paranoid now!

Chorcai

Fúckin creeps is all I can say... ugh the thoughts of it... vile.

Hugh_C

smelltheglove wrote: »

They never got him, ran after him but by the time they got around the back there was ni sign of him.

Any chance of pming me the address for me to check? Getting paranoid now!

It's gone, google finally forced it down. There may be some still on http://photo.zing.vn though ...