Ethics of using photos/images

[Alik]

Have few thoughts on using images on the web:

1. I always find it unethical (and illegal) when builders use photos of boats they didn’t build on their website. Some of these builders just propose stock designs and arrange photos of sisterships (built by other yards) for illustration (often without mentioning the source of the photos). Others have never built anything of the desired size and just use these photos to attract customers. In any case, both mislead customers on their real launching record and capabilities. I know a few builders who practice this "way of marketing"... or possible scam.

Interesting to hear opinion of collegues selling stock designs. In our design agreement there is a clause on using sistership photos - only with reference of original builder.

2. Now about the designers. Look at this one:
http://web.mac.com/kobusnavaldesign/...ercial.html#14
This is definitely our design (in production in Russia) and image originates from our website. But presented by Kobus on their website as probably thier design! Do You think such practice is acceptable?

Should we list more such websites here?

[Boston]

ethics
web designers
are you kidding me
I just spent several years and many more thousands of dollars just trying to get a web site built and launched
let alone having all the content legal
these "people" ( is stretching it ) have no ethics
I got nothing for my thousands, ended up learning html and designing my own web site.
there is no ethics in web design or on the net in general
people typically hide behind the anonymity of the key boards and say and do things no one would even remotely dream of in person
lest they get there teeth knocked out

ethics
please
this is the internet
get real
ethics

whats that

B

ps
I got robbed for about 4K+ and not one of the 8 or so businesses or people I hired to produce a web site ever even came close to actually producing a working site
best of luck with any complaints about ethics
I suspect they will fall on deaf ears
if there were a regulatory body Im sure they would be flooded with complaints and with criminals

[Alik]

I agree that there is lack of ethics in the Internet.
But between industry people and professionals it should be...

[Guest62110524]

thats a shame Boston
I ran into this guy(on net) from Poland, a Brit he designed built mine, got is hosted , demain name and all for 700 Au dollars But he is a pro and produced it in no time
He says he has two years work designing for a major German bank
I paid him nothing up front, and it works , fast, a true gentleman When it was all up and running he sent the bill, and we have an ongoing relationship
I paid another guy 130 to translate professionally to french and its working too from same man
It ranks page one google if you type in canal du midi river
but yes people use anything!
I use my own builds on there and if not say, "oh well this one was built by so and so
But if you lie, it'll all come back on you
People are not silly, they are going to ring around and ask for references

[Boston]

only people I can count on are my friends and even sometimes I have been robbed by them as well
I designed my own site and got it up and running on my own
made a lot of mistakes but Im slowly getting it to work
latest thing is the e mail but Im working on it and I have a few folks who seem to be helping
but honestly I never met a bigger bunch of schisters in my life than when I tried to hire someone to build a web site for me

I suppose I am better off learning to do it myself anyway

cheers
B

Alik, sorry that happened to you. I wouldn't know where to turn.
A similar thing happened to me and it's near impossible to do anything about it - even on a local level.

[Jeff]

Should we list more such websites here?

Have they been contacted for an explanation? I would always want to give someone the benefit of the doubt and a chance to make things right when mistakes happen. Maybe someone on their first day on the job made a really stupid mistake.

Originally Posted by mark775

Alik, sorry that happened to you. I wouldn't know where to turn.

The site above hosted in the US at the mac.com address would have to comply with the DMCA so I would be very surprised if they refused to remove an image lifted from your site. In a worst case if all else fails, submitting the DMCA complaint form would get your image removed.

In my case it was plagiarized words.

[Alik]

Originally Posted by Jeff

Have they been contacted for an explanation? I would always want to give someone the benefit of the doubt and a chance to make things right when mistakes happen. Maybe someone on their first day on the job made a stupid mistake.

The site above hosted in the US at the mac.com address would have to comply with the DMCA so I would be very surprised if they refused to remove an image lifted from your site. In a worst case if all else fails, submitting the DMCA complaint form would get your image removed.

Jeff, thanks for advise. Of course, I have contacted them twice on this issue.

Most interesting for me is how collegues builders and designers treat situation with sistership photos. I know few companies that have never launched anything bigger than one 20-footer in 3 years, but they use photos of Schionning, Roberts, etc. designs built by other builders. This is what I would like to discuss - should we cooperate and develop some code or contract clause, or enforce the builers to follow certain rules when they propose to build our stock designs?

[Boston]

best of luck
I was robbed over and over again
I had contracts
I had legally binding agreements
thing is if you cant sue them for more than the cost of the suet and then the cost of recovery
you have no recourse

period

best you can do is place a bug in your photos
B

[CDK]

Unfortunately the architecture of the internet makes it very easy to steal texts, pictures and whole designs because it was designed to share information. For some people, to share and to steal are synonyms.

A company logo, embedded in the crucial area of a picture is about the only thing that can be done against it.

[Alik]

Originally Posted by CDK

A company logo, embedded in the crucial area of a picture is about the only thing that can be done against it.

Hmm, company logo? They will just remove it... Adobe Photshop is main tool for such 'boatbuilders'.

A real problem Albert, I agree.
And I have no valid solution for it, too complicated the matter when it comes to lawsuits (and unaffordable).

But making violations public, like you did here, can be probably a very successful way of "spicing up theyr soup".

BD.net is a popular site on google with top rankings on results. That makes a prospective customer aware of a situation he does´nt like to get involved in.

But, who "googles" when he has found what he needs?

[Alik]

Originally Posted by apex1

A real problem Albert, I agree.
And I have no valid solution for it, too complicated the matter when it comes to lawsuits (and unaffordable).

They are also members of RINA...

Originally Posted by Alik

They are also members of RINA...

Just five minutes ago I stumbled through theyr website and noticed exactly that! So Kobus Potgieter should easily agree to leave such practice!

Regards
Richard