Copyright violations - How to best protect our images

[Nick-Hobgood]

Dear Googlers, 

I am seeing an increase in copyright violations with my images on Google maps.  I have reported them but would like to know how best to reduce the violation as reporting them takes time away from doing better things with my time. It is particularly discouraging when you go back to the map and see that the stolen image is featured using Pegman and the image you spent your time taking and editing is nowhere in sight.  I am not sure how the theft of these images is occurring but I request that more be done to impede the copying of our images by unscrupulous users. This would save many of us a lot of time and trouble.  Thanks - Nick

Recent examples include: 

Image 1

 Violation : (this is not the original image. The URL was replaced with another image after the offending image was removed)

My image:  

Image 2

Violation (this is not the original image. The URL was replaced with another image after the offending image was removed)

My image

[YK1001]

Yes, something must be done to counter this kind of violations.

I guess it is not hard for Google to implant some hidden watermark into Images that is uploaded to Maps.  So when it is being exported, edited and upload again, those hidden watermarks can be used in the detections.

[Nick-Hobgood]

Thanks @YK1001 I hope something can be done as it is discouraging to have ones images used illegally.   

[Nick-Hobgood]

The victim further victimized.....  

On Fri, Feb 16, 2018 at 2:32 AM, <removals@google.com> wrote:

Hello,

Thanks for reaching out to us.

With regard to the following URL:

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Byblos,+Lebanon/@34.1218313,35.6425368,3a,75y,103.45h,86.89t/data=... 

It is unclear to us whether or not you are the authorized copyright agent for the content in question. Only the copyright owner or an authorized representative can file a DMCA Infringement Notice on his/her behalf. Please note that you could be liable for damages (including costs and attorneys' fees) if you materially misrepresent that a product or activity is infringing your copyrights.

Under U.S. law, copyright in an image is generally owned by the person who created the image, unless the image was made as part of that person’s responsibilities as an employee (in which case the image belongs to the employer) or that person entered into a written agreement to transfer the rights to the image to someone else. So, for example, a person who is the subject of a photograph is generally not the owner of the copyright in the photograph (unless the person has obtained the rights to the photograph, such as by written agreement).

If you still believe you are the copyright owner in this case, then please reply to this e-mail with documentation that confirms you are the rights holder for this content. Otherwise we cannot process your complaint, and you should have the copyright owner file a DMCA notice with us.

Regards,
The Google Team

---

When replying to this message, please do not change the subject line. Doing so may prevent us from receiving your message, and will cause you to receive a "bounced" auto-response. If you receive that "bounce" response, please resend your message by replying to this original email without changing the subject line. If you still receive an auto-response, submit a new request through our forms at https://support.google.com/legal.

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On 02/08/18 00:27:12 [EMAIL ADDRESS REDACTED] wrote:

subject_lr_dmca: Your Request to Google 
full_name: Nick Hobgood 
companyname: Nick Hobgood 
represented_copyright_holder: Nick Hobgood 
contact_email_noprefill: [EMAIL REDACTED]
country_residence: US 
description_of_copyrighted_work: The port in Byblos, Lebanon 
location_of_copyrighted_work: 
https://www.google.com/maps/contrib/101998352775165120746/photos/@34.121544,35.6434759,3a,75y,160h,9... 
url_box_gmb: 
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Byblos,+Lebanon/@34.1218313,35.6425368,3a,75y,103.45h,86.89t/data=... 
dmca_affirmations_authorized: agree 
dmca_affirmations_penalty: agree1 
signature: Nick Hobgood 
hidden_product: maps 
hidden_ctx: 
geolocation: US 
hidden_uraw: 


:---- Automatically added fields ----: 
Language: en 
IIILanguage: en 
country_code: US 
auto-helpcenter-id: 1647639 
auto-helpcenter-name: legal 
auto-internal-helpcenter-name: legal 
auto-full-url: 
https://support.google.com/legal/contact/lr_dmca?product=maps&uraw=&hl=en 
auto-user-logged-in: true 
auto-user-was-internal: false 
IssueType: lr_dmca 
form-id: lr_dmca 
form: lr_dmca 
subject-line-field-id: subject_lr_dmca 
body-text-field-id: 
AutoDetectedBrowser: Chrome 63.0.3239.132 
AutoDetectedOS: Intel Mac OS X 10_13_3 
MendelExperiments: 10800027,10800108,10800141,10800161,10800170,10800173 
Form.support-content-visit-id: 1-636536463005418475-1007636593

[Anonymous]

This content has been removed.

[AdrianLunsong]

I can understand where Google is coming from as a fraudster can also make false ownership claims.. but as the real owner of the picture, it's a shame to be told as such. It definitely comes across as a burn. I hope you'll be able to resolve this quickly and with the least amount of hassle.

[JacekNK · Accepted solution]

@Anonymous

You are wrong. Please read:

1. Google Maps/Google Earth Additional Terms of Service

https://www.google.com/intl/ALL/help/terms_maps.html

"Your Content in Google Maps/Google Earth. Content you upload, submit, store, send, or receive through Google Maps/Google Earth is subject to Google’s Universal Terms, including the license in the section entitled “Your Content in our Services”."

2. Universal Google Terms of Service:

https://www.google.com/intl/ALL/policies/terms/

"Some of our Services allow you to upload, submit, store, send or receive content.

You retain ownership of any intellectual property rights that you hold in that content. In short, what belongs to you stays yours.

When you upload, submit, store, send or receive content to or through our Services, you give Google (and those we work with) a worldwide license to use, host, store, reproduce, modify, create derivative works (such as those resulting from translations, adaptations or other changes we make so that your content works better with our Services), communicate, publish, publicly perform, publicly display and distribute such content. The rights you grant in this license are for the limited purpose of operating, promoting, and improving our Services, and to develop new ones. "

So, even if images are public the author is still copyright owner.

@Nick-Hobgood

Please consider using this form:

https://support.google.com/legal/contact/lr_dmca?product=maps&uraw=&hl=en

But first read this:

https://support.google.com/legal/answer/3463239?hl=en

Regards,

Jacek

[AdrianLunsong]

@Anonymous I have to disagree on this. Just because a content is available on the internet (i.e. public) doesn't mean that the content creator loses ownership of their material. With regards to Google Maps, if I'm not mistaken, when we submit our photos to be made available on Maps, we as the content creator are exclusively giving Google the rights to use the photos as they see fit. However, that doesn't mean that others can make use of that material because the copyright still belongs to us, the content creator.

And copyright issue is important especially when the content creator has put in the time and effort to take the photo; I'm pretty sure that if someone was stealing your reviews and photos and reposting them so that they can earn points on the back of all your hard work, you will not be happy with that.

[GeorgesHR]

Hello @Nick-Hobgood,

Please note that I have removed the email address in your post.

Thanks!

Georges

[JacekNK]

@Refo @Nick-Hobgood

Sorry I didn't notice that this is an answer from that form 🙂

Regards,

Jacek