Copyright Infringement... again!

To my astonishment I found a picture of mine on the BBC web site advertising a programme which they later admitted could not have been made without that image. The image was of course in the programme too.

Received this (edited) response this morning:

'Hi Ken,
As per my telephone message, I understood permission had been sought and granted for the use of your image in the news report on March 10th. I'm extremely sorry to hear that wasn't the case.

I've asked our finance department to arrange payment for the use of the image and can only apologise again that it was used without your knowledge.'

I await some derisory opening offer.

Mmm interesting, keep us posted Ken

BTW what was the program?

You can't win for losing.
I get the "Wow how come none of these images are on your website?" factor when showing work to clients...
to which I answer "If you don't want it stolen, keep it off the net".

The irony is... I wonder how many prospects I lose if the only images they see are the few I have published...?
At least they are offering to pay now that they are caught!

Seek some legal advice and find out the maximum damages they could potentially have awarded against them. Useful bargaining tool I'd have said!

Matt,

It all comes down to what a Sheriff (a judge in Scotland) would think reasonable. The BBC would pay a picture library £150 to £200 for the use of a single image in a UK only broadcast (take note those of you who willingly give your work to the BBC for free).

This image isn't a stock shot. It is unique and crucial to their story, I'll reveal the link when everything is done and dusted, so the ball is at my feet right now. Watch this space

I know, its a real quandary.

Well what work of yours I've seen certainly is worth stealing...lol!
hopefully a decent paycheck comes of this for you!

Honestly Don, the image isn't very good at all but it was crucial to their film

Something I've often considered. By encouraging people to "text in your image" they're essentially charging people to send them something they'd usually have to pay for!

I might well submit a few for their attempt to reboot the Domesday Project as the '80s shots of my town on their site are a bit rubbish (too dark, on the whole). I view that as my contribution to a history project though.

I have no problem with good causes and contributing to them but I do think its a bit rich for the BBC to enjoin people to send in pictures of 'weather' and so on.

BBC newsrooms, particularly, have always been looking for ways to cheapen, in every sense of the word, story telling and visual imagery, but they will still send out satellite trucks and reporters at no little expense to stand outside nowhere in particular and report back heresay.

Almost by chance, my wife asked me if I had heard a story on the radio and I thought that's curious, how could they have done that. If they could have found a way to put my picture on the radio they probably would have. So I just searched their website.

You will have noticed that the BBC no longer have separate radio and TV newsrooms and just use the TV soundtrack for the radio which is pretty much ignoring the potential of both media.

This is quite a surprise. Hope you get it all sorted out.

Cheers Ken, as licence payers we will all now have to contribute to your luxurious lifestyle

Cheap at the price!