Resolved Weird situation

[kenoh]

What a stupid reply. Was this from the manager? Maybe you should post the pic so we can see if it's in any other boots around the UK. I'd still ask them for a pay out. Maybe some free printing as way of compensation.

They offered me the printed canvas free of charge.

It has become a pet project now. Been to two Boots branches since and they have different ones completely.

Yes it was the manager who said it and she wasn't happy when I told her that was flat out wrong.

 

[tomnavratil]

I told them it was my picture and that they didnt have my permission for it. They said they have a deal with Google Images to use whatever images they want.

It didnt come from Google amd that deal with Google Images doesnt exist.

Anyway it is down now.

What a nonsense response from them, quite shocking they would lie like that! Considering Google Images fetches all images from the Internet, with all sorts of copyright protections, this is a stupid story - hopefully staff doesn't actually believe that!

 

[kenoh]

It was comical and like I say, they didnt even ask me to prove ownership.

 

[Ish]

I agree with AFB. What a cheek. Even if you might have let it slide before, I don't think you should now with a lie like that. Even Google Images (which doesn't have your photo) has a disclaimer that images may be subject to copyright. Take a photo of it on display and send it with a letter to head office pointing out your rights and what they tried to fob you off with. You should get more sense from them than from someone in the branch who doesn't know what they're talking about and will make anything up just to make you go away. Grrr, I'm cross just thinking about it.

Don't let it slide!!!!!!

 

[kenoh]

So, complication has arisen. I cant take it any further without ruining someones job.

Turns out, my niece (by marriage) took the image off of Facebook. Emailed it to her cousin (other side of her family) who gave it to her pal to print on canvas - the pal works in the photo department at Boots. See where this is going?

Apparently, what has been happening, is her pal has been ignoring the images sent from head office to put on display, and has been printing pictures of her friends and family - for years.

SHE printed the image on the canvas and put it on display. By doing this, in a few months, next time they refresh them, she takes it down and gives it to my neice for free. So my niece gets £34 of canvas for free.

SO... I now can't do anything because if I kick up a fuss, this gets exposed and the pal, the pal twice removed, loses her job. I am not that upset about it to cause someone to lose their job.

What narks me is her justification 1. It is not my profession so they didnt think it mattered. 2. I hadn't watermarked the picture so how was she to know. 3. She has been doing it for years

I dont know which one narks me the most and it is funny. Anyone I talk to about it who understands the image is mine, flat out says get it taken down or they have to pay. Meanwhile, anyone who doesnt get it, congratulates me that I have a picture on display in Boots!

I feel like the bad guy now for standing up for my own property and my rights. I need to go take a walk with my camera.

 

[Hughmac]

Ahhh, the scam is revealed...

Seems like you're stuffed mate, and if anything you will be unpopular amongst family if you take it further.
If the photo is down now as you say, then a relative has benefited from the free canvas.

Cheers

Hugh

 

[kenoh]

Ahhh, the scam is revealed...

Seems like you're stuffed mate, and if anything you will be unpopular amongst family if you take it further.
If the photo is down now as you say, then a relative has benefited from the free canvas.

Cheers

Hugh

Spot On....

 

[Apple fanboy]

Well that does rather complicate things! I guess all you can do from here is
a. Lose someone their job (potentially) by standing up for your rights.
b. Learn from it and only give people prints rather than digital copies in future.

I guess because its the right thing to do and the family connection, you just have option b.

 

[tomnavratil]

That's a tough one mate for sure.

Firstly, I definitely don't understand the person who works in Boots and basically steals every few months by giving free canvases away to people who didn't pay for them.

Secondly those excuses are pretty poor but I guess you don't want to do more damage, especially if it's family and you just let it go.

As it has been said above, you learn from it and if you give a photo away, you will probably need to tell them about licensing a bit or you send them digital copies for social media, which will either have a watermark or will be unsuitable for print by lowering DPI.

As @Hughmac has mentioned, at least your relative gets a free canvas and you can have a laugh about all this - well it definitely made me realise again how little people understand licensing and many don't really appreciate photography business as they should.

 

[Fishrrman]

I'd just let this one go and forget about it...