Greed Disgusts Me

Roni Loren- Bloggers Beware: You Can Get Sued For Using Pics On Your Blog

The photographer who did this is an asshole! As a person who desires to be a writer and photographer I completely understand having a problem with people using your work without permission. I understand the loss of income and how it affects you. I also understand that there are laws. But as a person with common sense, I understand the risks you take when you post your work online. It will be stolen. Plain and simple. You have to be smart about what you put online. We've been taught that since we were children.

When you find work of yours that was used without permission, it is perfectly acceptable to ask that it be taken down. It is perfectly acceptable to ask that they give you proper credit if you would prefer that. If the blog does make money it is perfectly acceptable to ask for compensation then, keeping in mind how little money most blogs make and how little your work had to do with it. If they refuse to do so, then it is perfectly acceptable to use more drastic measures. Demanding that the work be removed and demanding monetary compensation when you know good and well that the blogger didn't realize what they were doing and they didn't make any money off of your work, is disgusting! You are no longer an artist. You are basically just a corporate money grubbing asshole. You disrespected your art, yourself, and every other artist out there. Have some human decency and understanding! It's not difficult.

Now don't get me wrong. I believe that the rights of artists should be respected and the law should be too. I believe the income of people should be protected. People have families to feed, clothe, and shelter. I know I would be aggravated if my work was stolen and my income was threatened. However, I hope to never be the kind of person that goes out of my way to deliberately hurt someone the way this photographer went out of his or her way to hurt this blogger. I'm betting that this photographer suing this blogger put her in a far worse predicament than her posting a single picture put the photographer in. Taking advantage of someones' lack of legal knowledge is not okay.

Out of respect for artists and the law, I'm going to take down all of my "Pics I'm Inspired By" and "Writings I Like" posts. Well, honestly, it's only partly out of respect. The other part is my refusal to risk supporting a photographer or any other artist such as this one.

If someone steals your work without intent or malice, just have them take it down and leave it at that. Be a human and a true artist first.