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Is it legal to watermark other peoples images with your domain?

Discussion in 'Legal Issues' started by drunkglitch, Apr 7, 2013.

  1. #1
    If I register a domain and use fake information for my address and name and then use Bitcoin to pay for the domain and then download a load of porno images and watermark them all with my website name .com and then post them on sites like Facebook reddit and other social media sites and monetize traffic with a porno ad program. Would I get sued for doing this I am also based in the UK.
     
    drunkglitch, Apr 7, 2013 IP
  2. browntwn

    browntwn Illustrious Member

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    #2
    You very well could. It is not hard to track someone down either through their host or through one of the services you use to monetize your site.
     
    browntwn, Apr 8, 2013 IP
  3. RoguePyro

    RoguePyro Active Member

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    #3

    Yeah the OP is just stealing peoples hard (pun intended :D) work.
     
    RoguePyro, Apr 8, 2013 IP
  4. drunkglitch

    drunkglitch Well-Known Member

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    #4
    How come 9gag and other sites like it get away with doing it? If I get users to submit photos for me will I be safe if I watermark the photos that users have submitted?
     
    drunkglitch, Apr 8, 2013 IP
  5. browntwn

    browntwn Illustrious Member

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    #5
    If you are dealing with user submitted content, and follow the correct procedure, you can gain some protection from the DMCA. I am not 100% sure how watermarking would affect that. At some point, the act of, watermarking content would take it from purely user submitted content to your own changes and then use of the content which very well might take you outside the protections of the DMCA.
     
    browntwn, Apr 8, 2013 IP
    xanth likes this.
  6. drunkglitch

    drunkglitch Well-Known Member

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    #6
    Do you think I could get my friend to submit pictures to me then I watermark them so then can't get in trouble with the copyright?
     
    drunkglitch, Apr 8, 2013 IP
  7. Snat

    Snat Well-Known Member

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    #7
    Actually yes you could get into issues with it.

    The DMCA is a USA law. As you are within the United Kingdom you got to follow whatever the UK and EU law says about it - not the US and there would not really be anything stopping them from coming after you if they really wanted (well, if they could).

    Overall what you are doing would be illegal - even if your friend does it (ultimately you know full well of what is happening). Would you get caught is a different story. If you have fake details in your domain there is a good chance ICANN will delete the domain and really, is it worth risking it?

    The likes of 9gags gets away with it due to being in the USA with the DMCA. They do not know what is being uploaded but once they find it or if alerted they must remove it unless a counter is filed.
     
    Snat, Apr 8, 2013 IP
  8. MilliR

    MilliR Greenhorn

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    #8
    You take some copyright content, mask your site name/logo in it. and sell to monitize? Sure you will get sued if caught!
     
    MilliR, Apr 10, 2013 IP
  9. HealthWebmasters Dave

    HealthWebmasters Dave Greenhorn

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    #9
    Stealing content is not a good thing, whether legal or not. For starters, if you do it, I suggest you don't post about it on a forum. You've already lost my respect (not that you care) but you'll lose most members respect real fast.

    The content producers will be contacting you with their lawyers whether you watermark it or not, and if you watermark it they'll be real pissed so just be ready.

    If you want to show porn to your site members, then buy it legally from a reseller or produce it yourself, that is if you care one bit about your reputation.

    Regarding user-submitted photos? Likely they are stolen images too. If you watermark them you're asking for trouble. If you don't WM them and the content producers finds their images on your site they will most likely give you a "take these images down" notice, at which time you can remove them and probably be fine from lawsuits.
     
    HealthWebmasters Dave, Apr 10, 2013 IP
  10. shteca

    shteca Active Member

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    #10
    Is this actually a joke?
    Your question is, if I steal content then make it worse by pretending its mine and then go ahead and make money off the content, and upload the content to social media site that explicitly prohibit illicit content... will I get sued...
    Hummm??
    I think you should be worried about your life choices rather than copyright law...
     
    shteca, Apr 11, 2013 IP
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