google search

Out of curiosity I went on google search for the latin name for the flower Gazania. Whilst browsing the list, I came across two photos that I had put in the PU Gallery. Can google use my photo without me knowing? Just wondered.

You own the copyright to your images and nobody can use them without your agreement. Of course people do, so you might send an invoice or ask them to remove them, or however you wish to respond to infringement of your copyright.

Google, as you know, is just the search engine. The offender is the website that Google has turned up in its search. Contact the website and point out that they are using images that are in your (c) without authorisation. Ask them to take them down.

Whether anything happens depends in part on where the hosting server is located. If Europe or the US, eg, it should be straightforward.

Do you mean your pictures on the PU gallery came up (ie clicking on the picture takes you to that page?) If so, Google isn't 'using' your picture. It's just letting people find it.

As above if the picture is on someone else's website, that's another issue and you need to take it up with them, not Google who are merely the search engine.

Ken - I think Google only uses the images as part of their search function. My view of this is that it can be useful at times when you think that website X is using your images, and will show you what it found in the search results.

I'd suggest going to the website where you originally posted these images, and change your settings there so that they become unsearchable.

Thanks guys for your comments. The only site I have used for the photos is PU Gallery. But being a rank novice, if my photos are being seen across the world at some point. Can it be a good thing?

If you put something on the internet (on a public site such as this) literally anyone in the world can see it... isn't that the point of the internet?

Your copyright has been infringed...

This might be one for the PU web admins to look into, as it appears that the site "allows" all images to be publicly searchable. Perhaps an "inclusion" box could be added so that when we upload an image here, we are offered the option of opting-in to making our images publicly searchable, or not.

I find Google Image search a useful tool when I get a scammer sending me photos of "themselves", then the image search confirms that they are a scammer when the image is posted onto numerous websites, such as scam-date websites, and porn websites (where the scammer probably stole the pictures from in the first place). I suppose it re-raises the issue about whether to watermark your images, or not.

It's all in the Terms of Use. Whenever we put images or other material on the web, the whole point is surely that people can search for it and see it. Otherwise, why put it there?

Lifting images to use on another site is something else though, and that is an infringement of copyright and can be pursued appropriately.

Indeed. If you don't want anyone else seeing them don't upload them anywhere.

here's one of my pics I took in Abu Dhabi Souk in 1986. Cheeky sods have even put a watermark on it.





http://www.desertsafariabudhabitour.com/old-souk-abu-dhabi/

I won't be bothering to pursue the infringement. Life's too short.

That does take the biscuit - if 'twere me I might perhaps invite them to make a contribution for their use of the image though.

As you say life is too short, but it would be tempting to lift the watermark back out of the image and pop it on something else, say some photos of broken down or burned out vehicles in the middle of the desert

If the photos are in Google images then if you hover over them you will see where Google found the photo. If it is not PU then someone else is abusing your copyright. Google is, in this instance, merely acting as a search engine.

Did'nt realise I would create so much interest. Thanks again for all the input.