Rhino Posted February 25, 2010 Report Share Posted February 25, 2010 For the first time, I'm about to publish some photos on a website of my banknotes. Now, I'm not sure whether I should leave the scans the way they are, or add a watermark of my initials or something and smack it onto the scan. What do you guys think? I know some of you copyright or watermark your scans - any reason for that? I just wasn't sure what the bad thing was about non-watermarked pictures, but since I've never published any, I think I may be overlooking the downside of not watermarking... All opinions appreciated! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thedeadpoint Posted February 25, 2010 Report Share Posted February 25, 2010 I don't do it (because I don't publish or anything!) but I think it's a good idea. Doesn't hurt if it's subtle. It'll get your name out there too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balaji Murthy Posted February 25, 2010 Report Share Posted February 25, 2010 I think the problem is with the medium which facilitates rampant content stealing. Especially vulnerable are specialized types of content, including images which others may copy and post on their sites as their own without attribution. I have friends whose internet articles have appeared without change in print media, a friend whose almost entire website on a specialized topic was stolen by someone and recreated as their own with some intelligent changes to make it look like their own. With watermarks at least you can protect your images. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gxseries Posted February 25, 2010 Report Share Posted February 25, 2010 I had a bastard that copied my entire site and pasted it on his blog. (national bank, mint etc) He even edited the code so that I can't track the hits. Nice move except he decided to steal bandwidth off my site. Obviously it wasn't pleasant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saor Alba Posted February 25, 2010 Report Share Posted February 25, 2010 I have been in the same situation as GX, but also add the ignominy of having people use my images to create auctions on fleaBay - and directly linking to my images. Now I put copyright notices on practically everything. Usually they are fairly subtle: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhino Posted February 25, 2010 Author Report Share Posted February 25, 2010 So how d you prevent people from stealing your website? I'm going to watermark the pictures, but I don't know how to protect the written content I'll be producing... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saor Alba Posted February 25, 2010 Report Share Posted February 25, 2010 So how d you prevent people from stealing your website? I'm going to watermark the pictures, but I don't know how to protect the written content I'll be producing... Put a copyright notice on your images and on your website. Just that alone will eliminate most, but not all of the possibilities. I don't lose sleep about it. I have contacted fleaBay in the past and had auctions pulled, I have notified people that had my images to cease and desist from using images. A lot of people have the belief that the internet is a free use source of images, text etc. In reality it is actually a bit more grey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhino Posted February 25, 2010 Author Report Share Posted February 25, 2010 If anyone is interested, I just found a way to disable the "right-click" on images on any site you have put together. Any time someone tries to right click on an image (all other content is not affected) an error message of your choice will show. It's an HTML based protection. If anyone needs it for their site, just PM me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gxseries Posted February 25, 2010 Report Share Posted February 25, 2010 Rhino, I reckon that can be bypassed if java-script is turned off. I had that protection before but it turned out to be a lot messier than I hoped for. In a case where people decide to steal your content, email them first, warning that you are really displeased and will take all measures to take them down. If they still refuse to do so, contact the server / site where they are hosting their site and that should take down a fair bit of problems. But again, that shouldn't be a problem if it's banknotes - banknotes are individually numbered. But again, I believe it wouldn't hurt to put in a subtle watermark like Saor Alba's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elverno Posted February 25, 2010 Report Share Posted February 25, 2010 I've yet to watermark my images though I probably should. Because of the way I produce them (in Photoshop I outline the coin, replace the background with black and then merge) they're relatively distinctive. But people steal them all the time, for eBay, I've seen them in books, had them reported as being in Phd thesis and etc. I only get upset if someone is using them to sell their coins or medals and are too lazy or too cheap to take pictures of the actual piece. It also really annoys me when someone deep-links to my website without permission since that takes bandwidth, however small. As for the rest, well welcome to the internets and those amazing tubes... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saor Alba Posted February 25, 2010 Report Share Posted February 25, 2010 If anyone is interested, I just found a way to disable the "right-click" on images on any site you have put together. Any time someone tries to right click on an image (all other content is not affected) an error message of your choice will show. It's an HTML based protection. If anyone needs it for their site, just PM me. There is a way around that. I had that script on my old website, but discovered that it was useless for a determined person. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhino Posted February 25, 2010 Author Report Share Posted February 25, 2010 There is a way around that. I had that script on my old website, but discovered that it was useless for a determined person. I agree, absolutely. But I think that when you add that feature, and then watermark your pictures as well, at the end you'll eliminate 99% of content thieves just because it's too much of a hassle to copy and bypass everything. And for those few determined souls, it will take just as much work for them to copy my stuff as it took me to build it, so I think that even the determined ones will question if their efforts are worth the time. By the way, another tip: I found a free software called "Batch Photo Watermarker" that allows you to pull up your own image, and then you can add either text watermark, logo watermark, or lines running through your page, and you can change the transparency and texture of all those features. Really nice, I'm applying some watermarks to my scans and it's looking good. I love your watermarks Saor, very very subtle and appealing. Problem is I lack the artistic ability and imaging ability to make such fancy ones But I'll stick with my generic ones. Thanks for all the opinions guys! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saor Alba Posted February 25, 2010 Report Share Posted February 25, 2010 Oh believe me, mine are created in a very very old programme, from ca. 1994 that I had to convert to 64 bit, but is very simple to use. No fancy photoshop for me. Tried and true and experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhino Posted February 25, 2010 Author Report Share Posted February 25, 2010 Oh believe me, mine are created in a very very old programme, from ca. 1994 that I had to convert to 64 bit, but is very simple to use. No fancy photoshop for me. Tried and true and experience. Really? Are your blown-up scans of portraits and images within the banknote also created with a simple program like that? I've always admired your designs and your ability to phase out the background and only highlight what you want, it looks great. Would you mind sharing the name of the program, or your technique for getting such large, detailed scans? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saor Alba Posted February 25, 2010 Report Share Posted February 25, 2010 Ancient Chinese secret. Actually it is Image Composer, not supported by Microsoft since 1997. I have tweaked it around, converted it to 64 bit etc so I can still use it. I never liked photoshop or paint. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
see323 Posted February 26, 2010 Report Share Posted February 26, 2010 No matter how we protect our images on our website, it can still be copied. There are free software to capture whatever displayed on screen. As for the watermarking, a photo editing software can be use to remove it. Honestly, there is nothing much we can do to protect them except to provide warning messages on copyright usage of materials in our website. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hiho Posted February 26, 2010 Report Share Posted February 26, 2010 No matter how we protect our images on our website, it can still be copied. There are free software to capture whatever displayed on screen. As for the watermarking, a photo editing software can be use to remove it. Honestly, there is nothing much we can do to protect them except to provide warning messages on copyright usage of materials in our website. Amen. Once you post any image on the internet you take your chances and hope for the best. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saor Alba Posted February 26, 2010 Report Share Posted February 26, 2010 No matter how we protect our images on our website, it can still be copied. There are free software to capture whatever displayed on screen. As for the watermarking, a photo editing software can be use to remove it. Honestly, there is nothing much we can do to protect them except to provide warning messages on copyright usage of materials in our website. Actually it is much easier than that and involves no software upgrade. Which is precisely why I took all the Javascripts out of my old website that blocked right clicking and simply resorted to copyright notices. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drusus Posted February 26, 2010 Report Share Posted February 26, 2010 I dont copyright or watermark my images. I have seen people use my images...in fact a guy came to this forum using one of my images and I have seen people on eBay using my images as well as on wiki...I think its very cool they want to use my images and see no need to keep others from using them. I kinda laugh when I see people copyrighting and putting watermarks, that will not keep people from using them and what are you going to do if people use them? Sue them? You are going to take the time to hunt the person down and sue them for using a picture? I wont...I figure they are using my pics because they think they are good, which makes ME feel good There is nothing anyone can do to keep a person from downloading a manipulating your photos...nothing. Cool people will ask, I had a few people contact me and ask to use an image in a publication which was cool, I told them to have at it as long as they give me a copy of the publication. PS: I use PS, there is nothing better...period. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
see323 Posted February 26, 2010 Report Share Posted February 26, 2010 I dont copyright or watermark my images. I have seen people use my images...in fact a guy came to this forum using one of my images and I have seen people on eBay using my images as well as on wiki...I think its very cool they want to use my images and see no need to keep others from using them. I kinda laugh when I see people copyrighting and putting watermarks, that will not keep people from using them and what are you going to do if people use them? Sue them? You are going to take the time to hunt the person down and sue them for using a picture? I wont...I figure they are using my pics because they think they are good, which makes ME feel good There is nothing anyone can do to keep a person from downloading a manipulating your photos...nothing. Cool people will ask, I had a few people contact me and ask to use an image in a publication which was cool, I told them to have at it as long as they give me a copy of the publication. PS: I use PS, there is nothing better...period. I totally agree with you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MADISON Posted February 27, 2010 Report Share Posted February 27, 2010 I had a bastard that copied my entire site and pasted it on his blog. (national bank, mint etc) He even edited the code so that I can't track the hits. Nice move except he decided to steal bandwidth off my site. Obviously it wasn't pleasant. I am with you GX and I can not see eye to eye with people who steal your site and called it their own. This is not just one or two scans that we speak of, but the whole site. Something wrong with the morality of this culture.May be I am too old fashion..... MADISON Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhino Posted February 27, 2010 Author Report Share Posted February 27, 2010 Thanks for all the opinions, I really appreciate it My site will be going up in the next few days, and I'll post links on here for you guys to see. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boydle Posted March 1, 2010 Report Share Posted March 1, 2010 I watermark my notes mainly to keep a track of them, i have seen my notes used in a lot of places. If i am scanning a few notes for someone in particular i do not water mark them however my site has over 4000 notes on it so far and that represents a massive amount of work so these get automaticly watermarked when i upload them. I have given scans of some of my rarer notes to people for additions in catalogs these i have not watermarked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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