Online Image Search
Many of our artist clients find out that their photographs, illustrations and other visual art work has been posted on the internet without their permission. Many times it is difficult to find or determine who is using the image. As part of our services, we can look to see if an image has been posted on the internet or where an image may have come from or who else is using an image.
Over 1.8 billion photographs are uploaded to the internet each day
The ability to conduct an online image search of the internet for use of an image can be very helpful for enforcing and policing your rights as an artist. It can also be helpful to conduct research to find out who owns an image and, if necessary, obtain permission for use of an image. In some cases the actual owner of a photograph may be difficult to determine. Conducting an online image search may be helpful for all of these reasons.
The internet is the wild west when it comes to stealing intellectual property. The common belief is that if its on the internet, then it must be free to copy and distribute. Copyright law has a different view. Copyright infringement refers to when someone makes a copy or distributes a photograph, drawing or illustration without permission from the artist. Copyright infringement for using a photograph can be expensive.
According to one report, in 2014, people uploaded an average of 1.8 billion digital images on the internet every single day. That’s 657 billion images per year. Chances are, if you have a photograph, drawing or other visual work it may be used on the internet without permission. The question is how to find uses of the photograph and determine if the artist gave permission for use on the internet.
Copyright infringement has severe consequences. Under copyright, unauthorized users of a timely registered image may be subject to a claim of up to $150,000 for each image used.
If you believe your image has been used or copied without your permission, let us conduct an online image search of your photo by sending it electronically to use using the form below. After we determine the results, we can schedule a meeting to discuss your next steps.