A Goodbye to all Hubbers

1. 87

   Priya Baruaposted 7 years ago

   I had written 35 hubs, featured 34 of them, but for the meantime, I have unpublished all of them. I have recently found out that using images from Google are not allowed, and sites like Getty and Corbis is suing a lot of bloggers over unknowingly using their pics. It is specially difficult for me to find pics on other 'free' sites because I usually need very generic pictures like a black dress, or a cover of a book. I still don't wish to risk it. And so until I have understood the Copyright Right laws better, I won't be seeing you for a long time.
   Love, Priya

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      SheilaMilneposted 7 years agoin reply to this

      Have you looked in Pixabay?  They have plenty of black dresses and PublicDomainPictures.net have several too. The same for book covers.

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      Will Apseposted 7 years agoin reply to this

      You should dig around a bit more for images.
      
      Book cover PR pics are not usually a problem unless you use them in a misleading way.
      
      Pixabay has a lot of public domain images.
      
      e.g. https://pixabay.com/en/photos/?image_ty … amp;order=
      
      Licenced for commercial use from flickr (check on page how/if you need to attribute)
      https://www.flickr.com/search/?text=bla … 6%2C9%2C10
      
      Getty allows you to embed many images for free but is a pain in its demands, not applicable to HP and its images are pretty much redundant these days.
      
      Most important thing is not to panic.

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      peachpurpleposted 7 years agoin reply to this

      oh please don't go! You can use pixabay, freedigitalphotos.net and morguefile. Lots of them of them are free to use images

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   delancooperposted 7 years ago

   For my advice, Pixabay is a great website to solve this problem.
   
   But anyway if you want to use a picture from Google when you search;
   
   Click Search tools --> Usage rights --> Labeled for reuse.
   
   You can use it without any problems.

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      Priya Baruaposted 7 years agoin reply to this

      I have tried Pixabay. They don't have the pics I want. And what if I wanted a pic of a celebrity, say, Katy Perry. Where would I get her pics from if not from Google.

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         Will Apseposted 7 years agoin reply to this

         Go to Google image search, enter search term, select search filter 'labelled for reuse'. Find pic you want with commercial use allowed
         
         https://www.google.co.th/search?q=Katy+ … tbs=sur:fc
         
         This is one for example:
         https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katy_Perr … r_2014.jpg
         
         It has this licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en

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            Priya Baruaposted 7 years agoin reply to this

            All good. and thank you for that. But I need more options. Like Katy Perry in a red Valentno dress.
            What I want to know is whether I can use generic images from Google.

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               theraggededgeposted 7 years agoin reply to this

               Priya, you can't take an image from Google without establishing the license. Follow the suggestions already given to you by Will and Delan and you'll be fine. There's no such thing as a 'generic' image - every photo was taken by someone, and they own the rights to that photo.
               
               Sometimes people with their own sites and blogs do lift images they aren't entitled to and get away with it. HubPages can't afford to let that happen on their site, hence they ask you to use images legally. We all have to comply with the rules, and once you get used to operating within that framework it becomes easy.

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                  Priya Baruaposted 7 years agoin reply to this

                  That just made my decision a lot more easier. Thanks though, all of you. It was really kind of you to give all the suggestions.

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                     Denis Lubojanskiposted 7 years agoin reply to this

                     If you have made your decision, then we are nobody to stop you. Just one thing, Good Luck.

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                  2. 87

                     TIMETRAVELER2posted 7 years agoin reply to this

                     Prya:  As I told you on another forum, it takes a lot of work to obtain and edit good photos.  Apparently you are not willing to do this, so I think you have made a wise decision.  Just be aware that these guidelines are for ALL online writing, not just HP, so no matter where you write, even if you set up your own site, you still will have to  comply if you want to avoid problems.

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   2. 87

      TIMETRAVELER2posted 7 years agoin reply to this

      Absolutely horrible advice.  It is not a good idea to use Google photos because many require accreditation and Google gives poor information about copyrights, etc.  Forget that one!

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         Will Apseposted 7 years agoin reply to this

         I hope you are being ironic. I'm sure you know that Google image search can help find images that have creative commons licences. It is up to individuals to check the images that they want to use to ensure the licence is applicable to their needs.
         
         Essentially, unless the image's copyright owner has specifically created a licence for the image's reuse you cannot use it at all.
         
         Except where the image is a PR image of a product deliberately created  by the makers for press and writers to employ.
         
         The newbies are like lemmings on this kind of issue. It is sort of immoral to point them anywhere near a cliff.

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            TIMETRAVELER2posted 7 years agoin reply to this

            The problem is that many people just assume they can use any photo that appears via Google and very few realize that they need to do the work involved in making sure those photos can be used and/or how to use them properly.
            
            I do think pointing people towards Google is a bad idea for that reason.  It is so much safer to use Pixabay, Morguefile and similar sites and just edit as needed, or even create  your own photos.
            
            I, too, have a niche for which it is very difficult to find appropriate photos, but I have taken the time to contact various associations, RV parks, and the like to get special permission to use their professionally prepared photos.
            
            You have to be willing to do the investigative work or be extremely creative, and I think that few here properly use Google, as was the case with this OP. In another post she openly admitted that she had no idea about how to accredit photos or that randomly using Google was not acceptable., and she had been here for two months!
            
            So, whether you think my feelings are "immoral" or not, I would rather direct people to safe havens than try to get them to use sites that can bring harm to them.  Doing the latter is much more immoral in my way of thinking.

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      Marisa Wrightposted 7 years agoin reply to this

      No, you can't use images from Google just because you've used the "labelled for reuse" search.
      
      Google often gets it wrong - and even when they get it right, there are usually conditions attached to the reuse, which the Google search doesn't explain.
      
      So you must ALWAYS click "Visit Site" and check out what the original site has to say about the image, to be sure it's OK to use.  If the image is genuinely free to use, there will be text on the original site somewhere to say so - if not, it's copyright and you can't use it.

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   Millionaire Tipsposted 7 years ago

   In case you do want to learn how to use images legally, here is the Learning Center article on the subject:
   
   http://hubpages.com/learningcenter/legal-image-use

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4. 80

   Mark Ewbieposted 7 years ago

   Woman in black.  Man reading book.  I started drawing because I couldn't fathom copyright rules and law.
   
   

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      Will Apseposted 7 years agoin reply to this

      This stuff is evolving fast. Soon you will have apprentices grinding pigments and we will have  retrospectives.

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         Mark Ewbieposted 7 years agoin reply to this

         Lol and thanks - I'll take that.

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         Millionaire Tipsposted 7 years agoin reply to this

         
         
         Mark, she said she wanted pictures of a queen, but I didn't want your drawing to go to waste.

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            Mark Ewbieposted 7 years agoin reply to this

            Oh hey - now that is very cool!

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               Millionaire Tipsposted 7 years agoin reply to this

               Mark, thanks for the compliment and the drawing!.

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   Kiss andTalesposted 7 years ago

   Very Smart like your solutions !

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6. 76

   FitnezzJimposted 7 years ago

   I noted the part of your concern that said "sites like Getty and Corbis is suing a lot of bloggers over unknowingly using their pics".
   
   Can you provide a reference for that?

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      Priya Baruaposted 7 years agoin reply to this

      Fitness Jim: Here's your link:
      http://www.meronbareket.com/getty-images-demand/

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      1. 87

         Priya Baruaposted 7 years agoin reply to this

         I am pretty sure American Copyright Laws don't really apply to me. I am not an American citizen, and Getty and Corbis would not be able to get through me. I have read and re-read the laws. American Copyright only protects that work which has been produced in America. Outside of America, anyone (unless your work is exceptional, unique or famous) can re-produce it. And people have reproduced it for ages. So from what I have understood is that you don't really have to worry about it unless you are not American.
         
         Anyway, this suing that Getty and Corbis is doing is deemed unethical by many. They usually target  small business, web designers and amateur bloggers who have zero idea over what is happening. People have been sued for using a single photo. Instead of asking them to just pull it down, Getty and Corbis demands an exceptional amount from them which in most cases, nearly ruins them. If I were American, I would probably have been sued bu now. 
         That's why if there's anyone out there using google images, I would strongly recommend checking whether it is something owned by Getty and Corbis. If it is, go away. Whether American or African, you shouldn't risk running against a million dollar company.
         Again, other images like photos from the Oscars or Golden Globes, or of Barack Obama or the Queen *can* be used so long you site your source. Because otherwise every blog or forum would have been sued by now. Nobody talks about being sued over using such pictures. At least I have never heard of that. And I have done a lot of research before stating that.
         
         Anyway, for those of you who have been using Google images, while I don't exactly condemn you for doing that (who am I to say anyway?) I would suggest you to steer away from Getty and Corbis.
         I have talked to hubpage team, and they have sent me a link from where I can get photos. But I still couldn't find the things I am looking for. 
         Here's the link, which I hope will help many of you: 
         https://blog.bufferapp.com/free-image-sources-list

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         1. 87

            Priya Baruaposted 7 years agoin reply to this

            Will: Can you re-word your statements. I couldn't really understand, but I think you *just* might have my solution.

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            1. 87

               Priya Baruaposted 7 years agoin reply to this

               Now I want a picture of Queen Elizabeth II,
               Here's the link for what I've found out after I have used Google Advanced Search:
               https://www.google.co.in/search?q=queen … XYz9swM%3A
               No options in there.

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                  Priya Baruaposted 7 years agoin reply to this

                  PeachPurple: You are the sweetest.

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                  SheilaMilneposted 7 years agoin reply to this

                  Yes, there are.  At the top right of your screen there is a symbol that looks like a gear wheel.  Click on that and you will find Advanced Search about half way down.
                  
                  Clicking on it will open a screen with all sorts of options and at the bottom you will find "Usage Rights". Choose one that allows you to use the image "even commercially".
                  
                  I notice that lots of the ones in your search have brought up Wikimedia Commons which will be very clear in how you can use them..

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                     Marisa Wrightposted 7 years agoin reply to this

                     ...and as i just replied to someone else - when you find one you'd like to use, click "Visit site" and check that the original site genuinely allows the image to be used.  Google does sometimes get it wrong, and even when it's right, you may need to meet certain conditions (like attribution).

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7. 85

   julieann26posted 7 years ago

   If you don't live in the USA you are still breaking copyright if you use a photo that originates from the USA that isn't in the public domain (or under commons licence).  Nearly every country in the world has sign The Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works (aka Berne Convention) which is an international agreement covering copyright.
   
   Basically no matter what country (contracting state) the works was originally published in it is still under copyright in other countries (contracting states).  That is why Getty and Corbis can go after anyone they please.
   
   You can read more about the Berne Convention here...
   
   Berne Convention

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8. 82

   SweetiePieposted 7 years ago

   Grab a digital camera and take pictures of things you know about. Write about things you know first hand, which will solve the problem. I enjoy writing about my own art projects, photography, which is the inspiration for most of my hubs. Also, now that I primarily focus on my blogging, taking my own photographs truly helps to illustrate my posts.

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      Adam Harkusposted 7 years agoin reply to this

      Absolutely, taking your own photos will save you all this worry.

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         SheilaMilneposted 7 years agoin reply to this

         It would be hard for her to take one of the queen, though.

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            theraggededgeposted 7 years agoin reply to this

            There are a few CC images of the Queen on Compfight (Flickr).
            
            http://compfight.com/search/the-queen/1-3-1-1

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               SheilaMilneposted 7 years agoin reply to this

               It's all a bit hypothetical now since all her hubs have been deleted.

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            Priya Baruaposted 7 years agoin reply to this

            SheilaMilne: thank you. I think you're the first person who gets me.

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               Priya Baruaposted 7 years agoin reply to this

               I haven't quite deleted them as yet. Simply unpublished them. I didn't have the heart to delete them.

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            SweetiePieposted 7 years agoin reply to this

            No, but you can write about other topics that are closer to home. Writing about the queen is a pretty saturated topic, but perhaps someone could write about home appliances used during the time of the queen's coronation, which would be a way to talk about the queen, without using a photograph of her. Also, it would a topic less discussed on the web.

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         TIMETRAVELER2posted 7 years agoin reply to this

         So will using some creativity.  If you can't find a photo of the queen, you sure can find  photos of the palace, a crown, etc.  Also, there probably are some on wikimedia.com.
         
         There is no "easy out" or excuse for stealing photos, no matter your country.  All of this discussion is a waste of time because the rules are very clear and have been repeated here several times.

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9. 88

   lisavollrathposted 7 years ago

   "I am pretty sure American Copyright Laws don't really apply to me. I am not an American citizen, and Getty and Corbis would not be able to get through me. I have read and re-read the laws. American Copyright only protects that work which has been produced in America. Outside of America, anyone (unless your work is exceptional, unique or famous) can re-produce it. "
   
   This is absolutely wrong. Under the terms of the Berne Convention, works created in one country must be given copyright protection in all contracting states.
   
   (Source: http://www.wipo.int/treaties/en/ip/bern … berne.html )
   
   You don't say where you are in the world, but you can Google if your country is one of the 160+ covered under the agreement.

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   1. 93

      Jesse Drzalposted 7 years agoin reply to this

      Is this why people are having so much trouble with articles being stolen? Because people around the world think if it's in another language it's up for grabs?

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         Marisa Wrightposted 7 years agoin reply to this

         No.  It's for two reasons. 
         
         One is that people misunderstand what HubPages is, and think it's an article site like  EzineArticles.com.  On EzineArticles, anyone anywhere can copy the articles for use on their own blog.  The idea is that EzineArticles writers gets more "exposure" by allowing their articles to be copied all over the internet,(it's an old idea and doesn't work any more, but EA still seems to be able to fool newbies into believing it!).
         
         Take a look at EzineArticles and you'll see it doesn't look that different from HubPages, so it's no surprise that some people make the mistake of thinking HubPages is the same and that Hubs are fair game.
         
         The other reason is that the internet is full of spammers and scammers.  They are always looking for ways to create websites as fast as possible, and the best way to do that is to "scrape" new content from another website as it's published. The best target is a site that publishes LOTS of new articles every day on the subject they want.  As the other big article sites close down, HubPages is now pretty much the best target now - and there are even people who sell software specially to scrape HubPages content!

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10. 93

    Jesse Drzalposted 7 years ago

    Why don't you just learn proper image use and be done with this? The rules are the same for everyone. I don't get it.

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    1. 87

       Priya Baruaposted 7 years agoin reply to this

       Jesse, I have understood the entire process of getting images legally. Hubpage Team has been exceptionally helpful with that. And if you've kept up with the posts, all people are trying to do is help me find the pictures I need.

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       TIMETRAVELER2posted 7 years agoin reply to this

       +1

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