Re: copyright protections

Kimiko..

Really, if you don't want your work stolen, whether it's code or graphics, 
the short answer is...don't put it up on the web.

There are various watermarking programs that you can use and I "assume" 
that they work...I don't know. You can try the useless "right click 
disabled" deal which works wonders as long as folks don't know that they 
have a cache and it's all there anyway. Or they can save the entire site in 
IE, graphics and all.

So, really, bottom line is:....put it up there at your peril.

I have a couple of pages of graphics up that I pass on to folks wanting to 
look at my graphics stuff and I have created a transparent .gif "eyemark" 
that kinda fits in with my name and is fairly unobtrusive. That "eyemark" 
goes on everything that is for display purposes only or if I am creating a 
graphic for a company. I can apply it without totally ruining the graphic 
and once the money has been received, I remove it.

It's not a watermark as such, but it's an identifier than people recognize 
right away and it would take someone *very* well versed in graphic 
manipulation to get it out and use the graphic and the plus is that it's 
also a very good way conveying that I am capable of "thinking outside the box".

HTH

Kym





At 10:17 AM 8/06/2001 -0700, Kimiko Drew wrote:
>Hi all
>
>There was a thread on another list regarding the full blown copying of a 
>website by another. Sad situation, and one I was pondering ... how would 
>one go about to protect oneself, should another try to steal one's site or 
>images?
>
>I thought of digital watermarks, but for a non-profit use, would that cost 
>outweigh the possible benefits?
>
>I thought of subtly marking my graphics, but wonder how it would affect 
>the look of the site?
>
>I also wonder how one would find out about another's use of the site? I 
>understand the digital watermark might help, but not having used it, don't 
>understand how it is done. Would someone be able to explain that?
>
>I know I have many images that people have used in their websites, usually 
>with my permission.
>
>But one of them only begrudgingly gave me credit as the photographer, 
>because she highly modified my images to fit her site. I didn't even know 
>about her modified images, until a mutual friend showed off to me what she 
>had done with my photos. He thought they belonged to him, copyright-wise, 
>because they are images of him, even tho it was my camera and my 
>picture-taking that provided his image. How would I go about encouraging 
>people to at least inform me of their activities, let alone make them 
>realize that images I put up are my copyrighted images.
>
>I place copyright info directly on the photo with the name of the 
>photographer (sometimes I do work for others), but that doesn't seem to 
>stop them. And usually they aren't being paid for their use of my images, 
>but they are up on personal or non-profit websites.
>
>Any suggestions for all or part of the above?
>
>Thanks for your help.
>
>
>Kimiko Drew
>macruimmon(at)earthlink.net
>http://home.earthlink.net/~macruimmon/
>
>a web designer in The Camarilla
>White Wolf's Official Fan Club
>
>Nothing happens unless first a dream. - Carl Sandburg


Free Graphics for Personal Websites
http://www.conceptualeyez.com
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http://www.writers-exchange.com/epublishing/valerie-book1.htm

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