I’ve dedicated a Huge amount of time and energy into exploring and analyzing the new “Product Page” since its implementation as a beta trial – even going so far as to create some written and video tutorials suggesting ways to dress up the limited description pane – and although I still yearn for an editable/customizable description pane on the sidebar along with other improvements we’ve been asking for, I feel an urgent need to bring RB’s attention to the age old issue of protecting our images against theft.
Yes, I know: any artwork placed on the WWW is subject to theft, but I’m suggesting one improvement RB could make in this area with, I assume, minimal effort and expense.
A little background
I’ve seen an increase over the past couple of years of my artwork appearing in Google Image searches, as well as a resulting increase in the need to declare my copyright of these images.
It’s also become evident by my own experience and comments from other Bubblers that image theft of artwork on RB is becoming more prevalent.
As you can see in the screen captures of Google Image search results below, the only image format that includes the embedded watermark we allow RB to place on our artwork is the “Large view” activated by clicking on the main image at the top of our artwork gallery pages, (Product Page). Google however, is a fickle beast regarding the images it chooses to produce with an image search. The results are simply willy-nilly, and the only contributing factors I’ve been able to substantiate are:
- 1. Placing images of “Print formatted artwork”, (Such as the Laminated print appearing in Screen-shot #2) in the description area for your artwork greatly increases the odds of your artwork turning up in a Google image search.
- 2. Long descriptions including repetition of key words, or tag words, describing your image greatly increases the odds of your artwork turning up in a Google image search.
- 3. Stating a location in your description greatly increases the odds of your artwork turning up in a Google image search – this is probably easier for photographers to implement, but even saying something like, “I painted this scene at my studio in Hermosillo, Son Mexico” will help. [It’s also helpful for the location to appear in the Title of the artwork, but not as important as its appearance in the description and comments].
- 4. Tag words, or key words, only seem to influence results if they also appear in the description, comments and/or title ( Best case scenario is for them to appear in all these areas).
A Picture paints a thousand words
⬇ My watermark appears as a very light overlay only on Large view images.
⬇ However Print format images are much more likely to appear in Google Image Search results.
⬇ I can add a Copyright statement at the top of the description area for my artwork.
⬇ However, adding a Copyright Statement at the top reduces my options for customizing the reduced description pane. ⬇
There’s only room for one line of text to appear in the description pane if I choose to display “Print format” images in this area. Any text placed below these images is only visible if the Show Full Description option is selected – Not feasible on a Google Image Search.
Suggestion
My suggestion regarding this matter is that RB provide a new option in Account Settings permitting artists to allow a Copyright statement placed below the Artwork Title above the description area on “Product Pages” as demonstrated in the Layout suggestion below. ⬇
It’s important that this Copyright statement not interfere with the limited space we have available in the description pane and that it appear in an adequately visible font.
I think there are more improvements to be made in this area including:
- 1. Having a more visible watermark so that it shows up more on the images that appear from a Google Image search
- 2. Finding a way to ensure that images in Any format that appear on Google Image search results include a visible watermark And/Or be covered with a transparent GIF.
However, my suggestion would be a good improvement at least for the interim.
I will be making this suggestion on the RB Feedback Forum, so if you agree and would like to support the idea please vote for it by clicking on this Link > Optional Copyright Statement on Product Page
Final Note
- I realize that © Artist Name is the only legend legally required to state copyright, but I believe the more commonly used Copyright © 2011 Artist Name would be more effective. Of course, RB could provide more than one option for the statement as they do with the watermark.
- I reiterate the fact that I’m suggesting this Copyright Statement be added as an option which each artist can activate, or not, in their account settings.
P.S. The tutorials I mentioned above can be found at the following links
How to set up Pop-up Windows
Video Tutorial for Pop-up Windows Part 1
Video Tutorial for Pop-up Windows Part 2
Richard G Witham
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Richard G Witham:
If the link I placed above does not take you to the suggestion on the Feedback page Click on this Link and look for Optional Copyright Statement on Product Page in the New tab under the search bar highlighted in yellow.
Thanks in advance for your attention and support :-)
Guendalyn
bene !!!
Richard G Witham:
Grazie mille Guendalyn :-)
Barbara Burkhardt
I have not gone through all of this yet as I am a time frame but wanted to say a Big THANKS Richard. You have put so much time and effort into looking into getting around problems. You are a STAR *
Barbara~
Richard G Witham:
Thank you Barbara. I know what you mean about time, so much to do around here … and in life outside RB :-)
steppeland
Good proposal, Richard – you got my support!
Richard G Witham:
Thank you very much. It seems to me that this is one of those small details that could make a big difference :-)
Pauline Wherrell
Thanks so much Richard – have very little time at the moment but I have favourited this and will come back to read it fully!
Richard G Witham:
Thanks Pauline. I got a little long winded describing the reasoning, or background, but the basic suggestion is that RB provide an option allowing us to have a copyright statement appear by default in our gallery pages, or what RB calls product pages. Have a great weekend :-)
Pauline Wherrell
I think it is a brilliant idea Richard and have just given it 3 votes!
Richard G Witham:
Thank you very much for your support Pauline. I know it’s a minor change in the grand scheme of the product page, but it would be helpful in protecting our artwork.
Cindy Schnackel
I don’t understand a lot of the technical stuff about why the clear gif is or isn’t there, etc, but I do understand that it must be easy to lift images off of RB, because I’ve found several examples of my work being stolen and they got them here. I’d be in favor of some beefed up protections. Yes, it’s true that nothing’s theft proof, but just as your house isn’t either, we still lock our doors, and the equivalent of a lock is what I think people want. It’s fine to have them look and I’m ok with the share buttons…shared by a button the work is properly credited to us with a link back. It’s the ease with which our images are lifted that concerns me. I also have a journal about stolen images and a few links to help people find and deal with it.
Richard G Witham:
Thanks Cindy. I’ll look for your journal and see what you suggest we do about stolen images.
The clear GIF is an option you turn on, or off in your account settings just like the watermark. It helps to prevent right-click-copying of your images by placing a transparent image on top. That way when someone tries to copy your image to save it all they get is the clear GIF on top. People can still get around it, but it makes stealing images a little harder.
Cindy Schnackel
Yes, I have all those checked in my account settings, always have, but nevertheless people have used my work. There is one right now that someone more tech savvy told me they are getting by “hot linking” to the image at RB. It’s on a google hosted blog and google’s reply to a DMCA takedown notice was that they’re not going to act on it. Wish I could recover damages for the time wasted dealing with thieves and idiots.
Mitch Labuda
Richard did a service, by noting, that the shares are with links back to our works and not copying with no credit.
Google images has a copyright warning, also,
Website for this image
von Mitch Labuda · Kunstdrucke. ab $ 78.20
artflakes.com
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Images may be subject to copyright.
Copyright is inherit when we make the exposure and a statement does not deter those that will copy. The DMCA process recognizes the copyright is held by the creator of the product.