PhotoClaim
As we all know, we live in an unprecedented photography and visual media era. On the one hand, professional photographers like me can create amazing images. It is also easier to share them with the world as quickly as ever. On the other hand, keeping track of the images is a growing concern. Protecting images from copyright infringement is becoming more difficult.
Photographers may face many challenges. These include others reposting photos without permission or ripping low-quality screenshots. Some creators are even seeing their work sold by unauthorised third parties. Unsuspecting customers might pay more for a low-res image printed on low-grade paper. The customers suffer from lower-grade products. Moreover, the reputation of the image creator will experience a negative impact.
The problem of copyright infringement is not only bad for photographers. It also affects viewers. They might not get the best value from an image that’s been ripped and presented in lower quality and out of context.
Unfortunately, this has happened to me as well. Thanks to PhotoClaim, it was brought to my attention that multiple websites had been posting my photos, and in some cases were even selling my photos as art prints. This resulted in a lot of frustration and disbelief. On one hand I had happily paying customers for my photos, and on the other hand I had websites stealing my work. That just feels very unfair.
Five reasons
A while ago, I started a partnership with PhotoClaim. Their service is one of the leading copyright infringement protection outlets for photographers. It is great for those looking to secure their intellectual property and assets. I am currently a PhotoClaim Ambassador. This means that I took it upon myself to spread the word. I want to help raise awareness of the importance of copyright protection. Sadly, this is something that’s often overlooked in the industry. PhotoClaim supports me during this whole process, and here are five reasons why I’ve decided to become a PhotoClaim Ambassador.
Reason #1: PhotoClaim helps to protect my work with minimal effort
What I love about PhotoClaim is that it saves me precious time if something happens, and they help to protect my work. Their service removes the red tape, bureaucracy, and hassle of copyright claims. It makes it easier for photographers to fight infringement without needing to spend money and waste time on legal fees. At times, these procedures might lead to endless paperwork and headaches! With PhotoClaim, it’s as simple as filling in a quick form, verifying your content, and starting the procedure.
Reason #2: You will be assigned a personal Success Agent
While much of the process of PhotoClaim is efficiently automated, you will be assigned a personal and dedicated Success Agent that guides you through all the copyright infringement claims, and is there for you to answer all of your questions. This high level of personal support is much appreciated, and knowing that your Success Agent has experience managing copyright infringement cases, makes sure that you feel that you are in good hands.
Reason #3: PhotoClaim recoups damages from copyright infringement
If you are a photographer, you can relate to the frustration of feeling that your work has been devalued. Many photographers find it disrespectful to see random people using their work without asking. This is especially true when they use images for illicit commercial gain. Would you walk into a bakery and grab a loaf of bread without paying? Most people would agree that would be considered theft. Intellectual property is much the same. There is a lot of work that goes behind an image. From travel costs to editing, post-processing, and everything in between, it’s not as trivial as hitting the camera trigger! PhotoClaim has helped me to recoup damages from copyright infringement for thousands of euro, and this would not have been possible without their support.
Reason #4: No win, no fee
PhotoClaim operates based on a ‘no win, no fee’ rule. That means that it’s not costing me anything to have all of my images monitored and protected. Even when PhotoClaim is unable to regain damages for a copyright infringement case, it won’t cost me anything. Only if PhotoClaim is able to come to a settlement or win a court case, they will take a share (%) of the regained damages. That sounds kind of fair, right?
Reason #5: The service of PhotoClaim is very user friendly
The service that PhotoClaim offers is web based, and easy to use. You start by filling out a form that will only take you a minute or two to complete. After that, you will be able to upload your (popular) photos, or make a connection with your Flickr or 500px account. From then on, your portfolio will be monitored 24/7, and in a matter of days you will be presented with possible copyright infringement cases. Your task is to let PhotoClaim know if the possible cases contain legal use of images, or illegal use of images, with a simple click on a button. In case of illegal use, one of the partner attorneys who collaborate with PhotoClaim will be assigned to the case, and take it from there. Once the case is settled or won, the regained damages will be transferred to you.
PhotoClaim will keep monitoring your portfolio, and present you a possible copyright infringement case each time a case is discovered.
Like all “makers” in any industry, photographers create products that need protection. Without copyright protection, many photographers, including me, would be unable to keep doing what they do. It’s hard to stay motivated when you feel your work has no value. There is no incentive to invest money, time, and many miles on the road to “make a product” that is not recognized. Thankfully, the culture around copyright protection is changing. I am proud to speak for platforms like PhotoClaim!
If you would like to have your images protected and monitored by PhotoClaim, signup for your free account right here. If you have any questions regarding the service of PhotoClaim, please feel free to reach out to me.
You can also check-out an interview I did with PhotoClaim on their website earlier this summer here.
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