Photoshop for All: Re: [photoshop-beginners] watermark

Pam - who stole your photo and how did they use it? Where did they steal it from?

On Jan 11, 2015, at 10:12 PM, 'Pam' pstryk24@gmail.com [photoshop-beginners] <photoshop-beginners@yahoogroups.com> wrote:

I guess I am an urban legend. I've had my photos stolen. A company was using them for their profit. I called and spoke to the owner. His response was "Prove it! Take me to court."
The lawyer told me it would cost me more in court and legal fees than the photos were worth to both prove it and to force them to stop using my photos.
Yes, your photo is copyrighted the instant you press the shutter release but the expense of legal recourse often makes it not worth it to try.
Visibly watermarking your photos is only a deterrent. Someone experienced with photo editing software could remove it but go ahead and add it anyway. An honest admirer will know who took the photo and instances have happened where the admirer seek out the owner to buy a copy. Adding copyright and ownership information to your photo's metadata is also a deterrent but that too can be effectively removed by those that know how.
No right click scripts are a deterrent of a different sort and are even less effective than watermarking your photo.
There are lots of other things one can try to prevent theft but they are all fairly easily overcome.

The bottom line is if your photo is valuable do not put it online. Period. If you must put it online then reduce the physical file and photo size as much as possible, to no more than 72dpi and never larger than 600x800 (the smaller the better) then compress the file as far as you can without unacceptable degradation. This will make your photo undesireable to print and not as usable online.

Pam

From: photoshop-beginners@yahoogroups.com [mailto:photoshop-beginners@yahoogroups.com]
Sent: Sunday, January 11, 2015 8:46 PM
To: photoshop-beginners@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [photoshop-beginners] watermark

Some people put a watermark on their picture to "protect it". That is nonsense. Your photo is copyright the instant that you press the shutter release. Some put a huge obnoxious watermark on their photo where it is more important than the image. Personally, I believe all this "stealing" of pictures is pure urban legend. If someone uses your photo and you can prove it, sue them.

If someone wants to steal your photo with or without a watermark, they will.
On Jan 10, 2015, at 11:03 PM, SueK sue@kinzelman.com [photoshop-beginners] <photoshop-beginners@yahoogroups.com> wrote:

Does anyone know how to make a watermark that will show up is a document is copied? Much the way they do it on prescriptions..