Is this you? Do you think this way?
I got an inquiry today from the owner of
http://www.astroxxx.com wanting access to my content. Lately, I'm always verifying anyone who wants "the keys to the kingdom," and when I got to his site, I saw several shots (including one of the shots of the impact on the NY Trade Towers and another one which looked like a medical photo of a man with a very severe deformity). I politely informed him that I don't do business with copyright violators and wondered if he could tell me from whom he got permission to use those photos. Here are some key comments from his response:
"Those two photos, as well as other single photos on my site were sent in from viewers and I don't charge admission for them."
Would you feel free to borrow your neighbor's lawn mower (without his knowledge) simply because you weren't going to use it for making money mowing lawns?
"I also understand that I have the legal right to publish any photograph I see fit to on my website if I am not gaining from it in any way, as long as I have not been asked to remove the image."
This is just plain false. You have an obligation to obtain permission first, not wait for the owner to discover your use and then give yea or nay on it. Besides being totally wrong on the legal point, wouldn't it be more ETHICAL to ask permission first?
"If I find out someone owns a photo I have up, and they have a site, I send them hordes of traffic as well, just to show I meant no harm."
Gee, rather than kiss and make up after being caught in the cookie jar, wouldn't it be more ethical to ask for permission first and MAKE SURE the owner of the photo gets some traffic?
"I have yet to have one webmaster/photographer say anything negative so either I'm doing something right."
And...your point?
"I think I'll stick with Matrix and the others out there (instead of buying content from you)."
I'm sure they'd love to hear how you treat copyright. Why not just break into their site, steal some content, and then wait for them to object, since that is your apparent technique?
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