Facebook removes copyright information from photos

[RKEnnis]

I just realized that Facebook removes all EXIF data from photos uploaded to the site. This includes all copyright information! I can't believe I didn't notice this before.

I've just canceled my personal Facebook account for this reason.

But more importantly, I'm re-thinking my policy of giving people (clients) my photos without a watermark on them. I've avoided watermarks up till now, since they are pretty easy to remove in many cases. I've been content to just put my copyright in the metadata. But now I see that it's likely that the metadata will be removed without the person's knowledge.

I wonder how common this scenario is: Client uploads photos to Facebook. Client forgets to give credit to photographer. Client doesn't realize (or possibly doesn't care) that copyright notice was removed by Facebook. Result: Your copyrighted work is displayed for all the world to see, with no way for even a determined person to track down the photographer.

Sigh...

[jeffkohn]

Facebook has absolutely no respect at all for the content (or privacy) of its members, their lawyers are downright evil.

[DEMDeepEllumMusic]

Randy that is the reason that I don't do photos on facebook, even tell clients about it-this info has been around for a while now.

Yeah put a couple snap type shots up and that is about it, keep the page since so many are on it but don't use it as a place to market your photo business.

[ChristopherCoy]

Thats why I put a watermark on ANYTHING that goes to the web....

[JohnT]

I've stopped putting business-related photos into albums on FB. Their system does indeed strip all meta data, down-rezes the files, and FB keeps copies of them on their servers for backup purposes. Even if you remove them from your account, they remain on FB servers. However, I still have a page for promoting my business. No problems there that I'm aware.

[DEMDeepEllumMusic]

Originally Posted by ChristopherCoy

Thats why I put a watermark on ANYTHING that goes to the web....

Kinda of funny that there is no watermark on your avatar here!

I've found WM to just be a 10 second PS job for someone to remove so don't spend time on them anymore.

[toverman]

Basically, the Internet is a free-for-all when it comes to copyrights. At least that's what the people who steal other people's images think. If you care to keep control of your images, don't put them on the Internet anywhere. However, I think having a presence online is worth the risks (at least for me).

[ChristopherCoy]

Originally Posted by DEMDeepEllumMusic

Kinda of funny that there is no watermark on your avatar here!

Thats a pic of ME... but you can't - or shouldn't- find any of my pet portraits on the net without a watermark. If you do, then I must have missed one.

[RKEnnis]

Originally Posted by toverman

Basically, the Internet is a free-for-all when it comes to copyrights. At least that's what the people who steal other people's images think. If you care to keep control of your images, don't put them on the Internet anywhere. However, I think having a presence online is worth the risks (at least for me).

Yeah, I know that the Internet is sort of the wild wild west in many ways, especially when it comes to intellectual property rights. And I won't withhold from posting photos because I'm afraid they will be stolen. In fact, I'll bet I'm more tolerant of these issues than many on this forum.

But for a site as large and well known as Facebook to programmatically remove copyright information from every photo uploaded to their site is very clearly wrong.

This seems like a class action lawsuit waiting to happen.

[Dobick]

I know and understand that the wild west was a crazy and dangerous place, but without brave souls setting out to explore and conquer that great and vast expanse of territory, we would not be the country that we are today.

Are there some risks associated with loading photos to facebook? Yes, there are absolutely. Do those risks have the reward of putting you infront of potential customers, and give those same customers a way to contact you and generate more business? Undoubtably yes.

If you never put that photo that gets stolen up on facebook, what is the chance you would have generated any income from it?

If you put a photo up that generates interest in your work, the portential for greater reward seems higher than not having a presence at all.

I do not encourage sitting by and letting facebook walk all over photogs and their rights, but I do realize there is the potential for decent return if marketed effectively using that service.

You will have to make your own choices as to whether it makes sense for you to utilize what facebook can offer for you?

[brad]

EXIF information and Watermarks are not there to prevent people from stealing your information.

There is a segment of people that will always do the right thing, no matter what... There is a segment of people that will always use your photos because they can and no watermark or EXIF is going to stop them.... These two segments are very small (probably less than 20% of the total) and there is nothing you can or should do about either one of them.

There is a huge segment in the middle, though... they will do the right thing if they A) Know what the right thing is, B) Are reminded that there is a right way and wrong way, and/or C) It is easier to do it the right way than the wrong way.

Watermarks and EXIF exist for this last group.

Facebook strips EXIF? Yup.. they claim its so they can keep image sizes small. Whatever. I post them to my blog and only link back to the original size images (which I sized down myself so some automatic routine doesn't do that either)... minimizes the damage.

Understand what they are doing and why ... then make changes to the way you do things and move on. There are so many more important things to worry about.

[micheljack]

It is like the Nazi. or Stalin, Castro, Chavez, or other dictators.
Party of Libs with NO restrictions.

[Jake]

Originally Posted by micheljack

It is like the Nazi. or Stalin, Castro, Chavez, or other dictators.
Party of Libs with NO restrictions.

Exactly.
In fact, Hitler use to remove the EXIF data from photos and I hear facebook has murdered millions of people also.


I encourage all photographers to boycott facebook, especially local DFW ones.

[KobraCarry]

While I still post some watermarked photos to FB, your best bet is to just post a link to your work if you want others to have the ability to access it.

[brad]

Originally Posted by thejakestir

Exactly.
In fact, Hitler use to remove the EXIF data from photos and I hear facebook has murdered millions of people also.

Hey, no one believed that Hitler had done it at first, either... not until some brave souls spoke out.

Stop the Facebook Holocaust.