member still on gather who stold my photo GRR

that is so stupid, I don't know why others have to resort to such childish behavior

unbelievable!

I agree with Ellen B

This is just insane. I just can't fathom why anyone would heist someone else's image for their own use. Especially here, when, if asked, many Gather members would readily give permission for their image to be used elsewhere, as long as credit is given where it is due.

unbelievable!!

You may be forced to take legal action yourself. I wish you the best in this.

It is a totally cool image. How do you find out if people are stealing your stuff?
I think that it is ridiculous that someone who is stealing images or articles is still allowed to Gather here.

I'm sorry this happened to you.

Thisis crazy! Gather should definately remove this theif!

Gather seems to remove the stolen image . . . but not the Scummy McSummeister that took it (absent several violations).

Regards,
Doyle I <~~~~~

Oh no, not again! Was it this photo? Is this person under another name now or what, I know the other name is no longer on here? I'm so sorry Angela, this takes all of the fun out of our sharing.

no it was a photo of my cat debby

this is crazy, that person needs to be gone

I know the last image theif was removed. TGather should follow the same protocal and remove all image thieves!!!

If I was you I would keep pursuing this until they remove the loser!!!

I just sent support@gather.com an email. Hope it helps get this guy booted.

Also, Bob B. Just published an article about a one-day-only free software deal for watermarking if anyone is interested. Here's the link to his article (if I don't mess it up. My HTML skills really reek.)

Protect Your Published Photos

Aargh. Here's the link w/o hotlinked:

http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.jsp?articleId=281474977271783

No problem Angela...I think the person took more than just your work also.

They said something like they removed the one in Sue's case since it was multiple theft. Well, we already know without a doubt yours was taken as well as one more that Marilyn tracked down.

They also said that they don't normally remove a member on the first offense. I have to wonder what the policy is. How many photos = a slap on the hand and how many = removal.

Then the other question arises... can they just rejoin the site and start over? *Sigh* Too many unanswered questions.

Keep us updated, Angela. It did take a few days for Sue to get justice. It might take you a few days, too.

Angela, I'm sorry this happened to you. I didn't realize this was going on. I agree the person should be gone. It's not as if it could possibly been an accident. The person who took the image and published it as their own, knew exactly what they were doing. As someone who has seen her work appear on other websites without permission, I really do empathize. It is frustrating and it makes me very angry.

Angela, having been thru this myself recently, I can understand how you feel. I'm so sorry this has happened to you! I have sent you an email and will do what I can to help you.

Angela, grrrr indeed. I hope this gets taken care of quickly. For you and for all our sakes. Theft in a community hurts both the victim and the community.

I'm sorry this happened to you. Thanks for being my friend.

your right stealing is stealing and childish. What do they have to gain taking someone elses photos. Get a camera and take your own. Idiots

Who is doing it? go get em girl

Not again! I'd like to know who it is. I've been off gather a couple days and didn't know another deal like this had occurred. Do you still have the photo in your gallery?

How totally stupid and mean can some people be?

If this keeps up, I see the gather members deserting gather like rats leaping off a sinking ship. If gather doesn't do something about this, people are not going to be participating here anymore. And it's even easier to steal poetry and other writings.

Thanks for the update, sorry to hear you picture got stolen

I hope no one is holding their breath waiting for Gather to do something. You'll pass out first. Here is the response to my email (my original email to them is at the bottom):

Dear Moh,



Thank you for your message. We understand your concerns and welcome the opportunity to clarify our policy concerning copyright violation.



Gather has had several in-depth discussions with our legal team over the past several months to review The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (see Section 21 of Gather's Terms of Service). Based on these discussions, we've learned that our members are not required nor obligated to monitor the site for copyright violations. In addition, we learned that we are not obligated to remove content unless we are contacted directly by the copyright owner or an agent of the copyright owner.



It is true that any member who publishes content on Gather that is not their own, risks being in violation of copyright law and could faced fines and/or formal charges. If you would like to be proactive, we suggest you contact the person who owns the copyright and inform them that their content is being shared on Gather.



Gather cares deeply about the rights of artists and creators, however, we must also follow the rules and regulations currently in place as defined in The Digital Millennium Copyright Act.



Kind regards,



Carolyn





Carolyn Richards

Member Services Manager

Gather, Inc.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: (name changed to protect the innocent - aka Moh)
Sent: February 29, 2008 10:28 AM
To: support@gather.com
Subject: Known image thief on Gather



Gather support,

Why is a known image thief still allowed to be an active member of Gather? Possibly you are waiting for some source OUTSIDE Gather to contact you about all the images he has that are obviously stolen from somewhere else, as this holds more weight (and would cost more should a suit be brought) than "merely" stealing from another Gather member? I would say, aside from the snow pictures, and a few family shots, the rest are all lifted from elsewhere.

Please do not hide behind the letter of the law. Live up to the SPIRIT of the law that you profess in your own site descriptions and TOS. For the good of all Gather, please remove this individual: http://xxxxxxx.gather.com (name removed to protect the GUILTY!)

Thank you,
Moh


Yes, Gather is still hiding behind the LETTER of the Law, and their OBLIGATION to the law. What happened to any obligation to the community of Gather that they started, or their obligation to the INNOCENT? Beth H. is right. Theft affects not ony the victim, but the whole community. This place feels less like a community to me every day.

My response to Carolyn is going to be a link to this thread, which she is probably reading anyway, but.....

Very sad that people would use others photos.

Thanks, Moh!
Well, I hope Carolyn is reading this thread! The thief is dispicable. Gather's non-action isn't much better. I'm thoroughly disgusted. Perhaps this gather place is so big,they don't think all that many people will just close their accounts and leave. They can run some more of those popularity-contest writing contests and lure lots more clueless fools like me over here. A person cannot share anything here ---photo, artwork, writing--- without it being the possible target of worthless thieves.

I thought it was fun to share a few of my cat photos. I had no idea how easy it was to steal them. I've been sharing a few low quality shots lately, but I'll always wonder if my best shots were pirated and are on some other website with someone else's credit on.

Gather doesn't have to think those gift cards are going to make people stick around here after they get mad enough. Yeah, I'm mad enough to leave right now.

I'm sorry

Hi, IMO Gather should enforce their own policy per the TOS of posting content only belonging to member...otherwise,why have such stated in a site TOS???

Carolyn's reply above:" If you would like to be proactive, we suggest you contact the person who owns the copyright and inform them that their content is being shared on Gather."........okey dokey...LOL..so,even tho' you are already very aware of the theft, we should all tell YOU,the CR owner of the photo, that your photo was snagged and posted by another on their page.....stranger than fiction,eh?.....

The way I have handled theft of my photo work in the past, is to notify the person who posted it with mail telling them it is a CR violation which is a Federal offense in the USA and that i will file legal action if not deleted immediately.....if the person entered it into a contest,or was trying to sell it,then i skip the notice and just file suit....

BUT,you have more of a legal leg to stand on if your photo is REGISTERED which requires a reasonable fee for any amount of photos you want to register....(Google copyright office for details)

keep me updated......cheers,gayle

Thanks for posting this to Best Original Photos, Art and Writing for 2008.

I am so sorry this happened. I hate to say this, but probably the best way to see it qickly resolved is to threaten legal action...it motivates both the theif and gather to act quickly.
I am really disappointed by gather's response- it is true that you, as the copyright holder need to make issue of it before gather LEGALLY must act, but you have made them aware of the situation, and they still do nothing. I think you need to emphasize that this member is illegally profiting from your work, and at present gather is an accessory to this.
There are two aspects of stealing others work that both bother me equally. One, as in the case of yourself, Angela- you are a very talented photographer and definitely could be publishing and selling your work. Having a theif diminishing your abitility to do that. Two- none of our photos are now protected, and even for the amateur with pictures of their family- most people don't want pictures of their kids floating around the internet with no control.
It would be so easy for gather to address this, once and for all.

Oh my goodness.....i am so sorry this has happened.

This is pretty sickening....I am sorry you are going through this Angela

Anglea, I don't suppose you've gotten an apology from the thief? According to his profile, he signed in some time today, so if he didn't know before now he'd been busted, he does now.

I can't believe that people can take someones stuff and pass it as their own. Childish, immature and needs to learn that it can come back and bite you in the tale. I hope they take that person off of Gather for good. Teaches others not to do the same. Good luck Angela.

I agree - if one has to go then all should go too....why is this person allowed to use YOUR picture without being punished or banned?! If they allow that ON Gather where everything we personally print is suppose to be copyrighted and safe, then what's to stop HER from doing it to others and also stealing stories and going elsewhere and printing them?! Gather HAS GOT TO GET IT TOGETHER!!! *sigh* I'm so sorry for you but even sorrier for her that she is so talentless that she has to resort to STEALING others work!

i'm sorry Angela.. i thought this was taken care of... darn...
hope you get your justice soon...

kitty she is actually a he

Moh at least you got a reply from gather they still have not replied to my email

Have not replied? Oh, that IS low! I haven't gotten a reply to my response to their email, but I don't expect one. Responding to you, more than just taking your photo off that guy's site, should have been their FIRST priority - long before responding to me. I'm just a third party. The people running Gather really need some serious customer service and business etiquite training, if nothing else.

I just got that yawning kitten image he has posted in a mass email joke about "Cat scans and Lab tests."

Sorry this happened Angela, your work is beautiful

I'm just wondering who the hell this guy is? I would like to go to his site and read him the riot act!

I sent a second email to gather sunday and still no reply from them. I did post a not so nice message on his site on my image that has since been removed by someone him or gather Im not sure.

You know elizabeth I would but guess what then gather would remove me for harrasment can you believe that bull shit

i agree it is bs,, yet you need to battle this right ways,, let them work on it,, nothing will happen over night,,,,

I need to know who this guy is! Please send me a message..

That really stinks that someone would do that.

sorry this happend to you. hope that the person is vanished :)

This is cause for me to be a little nervous about my photos now. Unethical ones who do this are everywhere on the net however I like Gather because of the unique quality of people and ethics I see here amongst another. This activity needs to be stopped and monitored. Thanks for the warning. Gather could adopt software that prevents ones from copying photos. I hope a solution comes immediately....