LPDAL

I'm not accusing anyone. I have every single example of bloggers stealing my photos captured via screenshot which I attached to the cease and desist letter that I sent to every single blogger who broke the license that protects my photos.

It is NOT whining to demand that the proprietary and licensing rights of my photos be respected. And if such bloggers refuse to take my photos down (which hasn't happened yet, thankfully) they will have an intellectual property theft lawsuit on their doorstep.

-LPDAL

Richklhs

I think we understand your point by now.

dimramon

Says the guy who posts non-original content on his Flickr page.

From Flickr:

Flickr accounts are intended for members to share original photos and video that they themselves have created.

LPDAL

I know the person who took this picture:



Here is where it was stolen from without credit -- Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/F...0694316%29.jpg

Notice the "author" didn't even take off the Delta_Air_Lines_New_Livery_Boeing_757-232_with_Winglets_N703TW_1850694316.jpg file name before they uploaded it.

When are Kelly and his staff going to stop stealing content?

-LPDAL

sbm12

I certainly am no fan of copyright violation but the only thing required on that one is attribution. And there is attribution in the page (though better link would be better IMO).

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/F...850694316).jpg

LPDAL

Right.

However, I've got 17 screenshots of prominent points bloggers using my photos without attribution nor consent, which is required by the copyleft license they are bound by. I'm not going to post them, as all 17 examples are now gone at my own "request".

-LPDAL

tlott

So what's your point? You've mentioned this several times. Did TPG use your photos improperly? You accused TPG of "stealing content", but he attributed the photo you linked as required. He hardly "stole" anything.

You can't claim, for instance, that someone licensing stock photos is stealing content. Rarely is a large blogger going to have shot every photo they ever post themselves. That is an unrealistic expectation.

sbm12

And yet you still brought it up with accusations of theft. You discredit yourself by such behavior. :-:

dimramon

LPDAL, I looked at your Flickr stream, and I see a ton of vintage/old photos that you scanned in or downloaded yourself. Definitely NOT photos you took.

Flickr clearly states the following:

"Flickr accounts are intended for members to share original photos and video that they themselves have created."

Most of the photos I just looked at violate those terms. So I do not understand why you keep harping on people stealing your content, if you can't follow the rules yourself.

LPDAL

He may have, he may not have. All I'm going to say is that 17 of my photos were stolen (not templates, either -- my own photos taken by a D5200) and uploaded to these prominent points blogs.

Right. But it makes so much sense to write about something that you've never experienced and/or and use a bunch of stock photos, right? Excuse me, I'm going to go write a "Layover Guide" for Dubai despite never even visiting the United Arab Emirates at all.

In the same way that these bloggers are out to make their commission, I am energized to post by people who don't appear to be telling the public the full truth and who, in the process, drag down trust in the whole industry.

These points bloggers constantly draw people in with the allure of "free" luxury travel. They see the fancy blog layout and truly believe that these bloggers are on their side, when in fact they're just trying to get a commission from some poor saps who think travel is, in any way, cheap. Then, when these newbies discover that travel is expensive no matter which way you slice it, TPG, Lucky, and others, blame it on the people who fund their snake oil blogs, claiming they should have done their research first and that a magazine writing about one blogger was highly editorialized in order to move copies.

I would have been much more sympathetic if the copyleft license was followed and consent plus attribution was given. The attitude of "it's on the internet, may as well steal it and hope he doesn't know it!" along with the fact that these blogs couldn't give a rat's behind about their readers, is what drew my interest.

I would have been much more sympathetic if, instead of STEALING my pictures, they ASKED and ATTRIBUTED my photos. Even then I would have doubts because I am highly against these blogs because they are trying to mask themselves as "FREE Luxury Travel Experts" to sell credit cards. I'd have a much more favorable opinion if they just came out and said, "Hey, we're just trying to sell you a bunch of credit cards, there's no such thing as 'free' luxury travel" but they would never do that because being a bunch of pseudo con artist "Travel Experts" is the foundation of their business.

I'll let everyone know when I start caring about what people think of me, there will be a few centuries in the meantime, though.

-LPDAL

bthotugigem05

TPG is using primarily stock images now, from the looks of it. As a blogger who doesn't watermark my photos I keep a very close eye on their use, and they get stolen all the time (http://www.straitstimes.com/singapor...es-suites-trip).

Definitely frustrating, because people should know better, especially because I've literally never refused permission to a blogger wanting to use my photos.

LPDAL

One thing that is disengenous about these blog posts is that when 100% stock images and/or advertisement kit components (see Dubai Layover Guide earlier) are used to write an article, it heavily implies that the writer has never been to the destination or use the product they are writing about.

Yes, you can write about something if you haven't used or been to it, but that is highly unscrupulous when your audience is looking to your blog in an effort to decide on where to travel, what hotel to stay in, etc. The readers believe a real person is behind these posts, sharing THEIR OWN experience, when in fact, it is just a barely paraphrased version of a press release from the airline, resort, or issuing bank.

Of course the company itself will tell you their resort, airline, etc., is the best thing since the Boeing 707. Actual user experiences will often paint a completely different image.

Again, I realize they are trying to move as many credit cards as possible but the methods they use to do so disgust me.

-LPDAL

LPDAL

Of course, a portion of this discussion relates to morality when the actions that these blogs take are not illegal.

This morning, as I drove to the office, an ad on the radio declared a house flipping seminar happening in Miami in November, promising one would "make a fortune IN ONLY THREE MONTHS!". What they're doing is not illegal, but this is just another example of charlatans selling their "get rich quick" schemes that are still morally wrong.

Point: Brian isn't using credit cards, the house flipper seminar organizers aren't flipping houses, and etc. They're banking on selling their snake oil. That's it, and that is why I hold a very dim view of them.

As with the poster above I have let my trip report photos be used by FlyerTalk bloggers:

Excessive Dog Excrement Forces Emergency Landing | FlyerTalk

AirTran Airways A+ Rewards Program to End in November | FlyerTalk

THAT I have no problem with.

-LPDAL

CMK10

If LPDAL wants to refer to the law so much, perhaps he should read up on defamation and libel.

LPDAL

As I said before, all 17 of my photos have been removed. I can't link to them unless one wants to see a "404 Not Found" message. Nor do I want to, anyway. The photos that were stolen from my page were of airline seats, lounges, and the like that I, myself, took, not historical images or screenshots of airline websites that are also on my Flickr account. Points blogs really aren't interested in sepia scans of an airfield as it appeared in 1942 or airline website screenshots that they could easily copy themselves.

My point being that I will not stand for my images being used to benefit the process of selling snake oil.

Now if one wants to use my photos in a news story (see above) that isn't attempting to pull one over on anyone, that is perfectly fine as long as they comply with the Creative Commons CCATNCUND license. I'd be perfectly happy to enhance their stories with my photos as long as the rights are respected and they aren't trying to sell anything.

-LPDAL