New Copyright Laws Imminent

I suppose if it is easily findable, then it is easy to show that no effort was made to find it.

More efficient algorithms will be used by image search engines (for a fee). Photographers protecting their images will register them with a major search engine which will be on the list of engines for "diligent search". The transformations of images , mirroring, etc will be added to the search engines, more human matching methods developed and probabilities of matches.

There will be a trawl back of images in the rich mining of intellectual rights of imagery and art, in the same way there has been a gold rush for tech patents (google, motorola, BT, kodak, etc etc).

There's a pro photographer we know who has thousands of images back to the 80's of famous bands and people, I'd imagine he will scan them up, register them (with a price list) and take a few quid here and there when some numpty scans a old poster which has his image on it and uses it in a glibal ad campaign without "diligent search".

Once an image has been used as an "orphan" can it then be claimed as owned and know by the originator and any further use curtailed?

So it isn't possible to show images "risk free" as regards theft unless they are defaced in such a way, with copyright messages, to make them unusable. ?

It isn't possible to do that now Stan. Somebody might lift one of your images, use it on an obscure website, and you might never find out about it. When you do, you invoice them. If they don't pay you pursue them in the small claims court possibly.

Tineye and other reverse search engines mean that you can check, but not with 100% success.

To be honest, there are so many images on the web that someone honing in on mine or yours is pretty slim anyway. But you're right in that it does happen.

As a pleasure only photographer I'm not sure if I wouldn't be chuffed if they did and subsequent argument regarding copyright brought me fame and fortune beyond belief I really must get out more

As someone whose work is constantly being stolen and it is theft, I cant tell you how much of my time is spent scouring the internet looking for my stolen work, invoicing & suing etc. this new legislation is going to make photographers lives so much worse.

What no one seems to mention whether that be media, government & campaigners is that photographers are business people, we pay taxes on our profits. My images are my stock. This law is like giving people the right to handle stolen goods (most orphans are created through image theft) been caught with stolen goods aw dont worry heres an honesty tin put in what you think those goods are worth and be on your way, the world is going my mad....

I thought the lunatics had been running the asylum for a long time now

Just pick up any newspaper and...