So I love checking out my best performing images no more than the next Googler guide, but recently I noticed that L&G Hermanos cropped my image of New York and reposted it as their own.
How do I deal with this?
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Sadly feels like this is becoming an epidemic.
Seems like it is an easy tool to: Get more photos uploaded, ideally replacing the original featured photo to gain points and (more importantly?) mass views.
Considering none of us is paid for local guide contributions and even the odd google “thank you” gift is rare, what can they get besides aggravating the original guide, I can’t see. What pride do you have at ruining other people effort??
Check my post from a few weeks back on the same painful issue:
It happened to me multiple times since I posted by different map users (I don’t think they deserve the title of “Guides”).
I tried: Reporting on the user profile detailing the copied photos. Reporting the specific copied photo as copyright infringement.
In few cases it worked (it takes time!) and the profile (and photos) got removed. It does not guarantee that your photo will be featured back.
In other the copied photos are still published in maps despite multiple complaints.
Do note that you cannot post here the copying profile details (policy) despite him being in the wrong.
I believe the helpful moderator @MashaPS had some hand in clearing some of the mess in my case.
I wish there would be a better and simpler way to deal with these cases.
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Hey brother thanks for taking the time to respond to my question.
I had taken it up with the removal team and as you said it can be painstakingly slow. I’m enjoying my photo being New York’s 2nd featured image, it just annoys me when someone steals your work (in this instance) as it takes from the impact of the original. My pics get used a lot without consent and if there’s no direct impact I normally don’t mind. In this case however, it irks me somewhat.
Thanks again for the comment
@Shuttermaniac I’m sorry to see that this has happened to you. It’s very frustrating! It happens to me at least once a month. I’ve reported the profiles, but I’ve only ever seen one that was removed. This guy stole at least 10 of my top performing photos, last year. He’s still out there, doing it to this day.
This photo he mirrored. Others he cropped or added filters.
Hopefully someone that has a better idea of how to eliminate these profiles will see this post and offer some helpful advice!
I would definitely suggest blocking that profile, that way he can’t help himself to anymore.
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Cheers brother,
That’s actually a good tip. I hadn’t thought about blocking him from more images.
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It is an excellent photo and 2nd most featured photo on New York is impressive.
Luckily, it is still featured.
Annoyingly, the frequent problem when posting the exact (or almost full crop) of the original is that the copied image becomes the featured and replaces your original. Guess google algorithm is at least consistent in what it likes.
I would also suggest watermarking photos (some automated tools other there) but again, cropping and other tools can be used to clear watermarks.
At the end of the day - unless the price tag is high (such as google shutting down such profiles) users will continue with this ugly behaviour.
Shame, but it’s up to us to do the weeding (and I am now consistently reporting not only on my own photo cloners) and hope google will act.
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@abermans I must agree, the problem is growing and these occurrences are becoming more common. The perpetrators are also becoming greedier, hijacking multiple photos whenever they can. I have also had very little luck in getting the offending profiles removed. Maybe if we collectively flag the photos, we’ll have strength in numbers to our advantage?
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Cross reporting could be worth a try.
Not sure how can we do it without too many posts and there is still a restrictions on pointing a finger at the copying user.
Probably worth first publishing a “how to” step guide with template to simplify the reporting process.
Without disabling public profile setting and removing/blocking all followers, it is impossible to prevent multi photo copy activity.
In my first instance it was a clear “sort photo by views and copy the top few”.
In others it was random selection.
If you have idea how to coordinate reporting, I am game.
Sam
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