Photo-Sharing Site Need not Self-Police

[The Straight Story]

Photo-Sharing Site Need not Self-Police

MANHATTAN (CN) - Kodak's photo-sharing social media website does not have the responsibility to police 9 billion of its images for evidence of copyright infringement, a federal judge ruled.

Sheila Wolk, a professional artist for more than 40 years, runs an online store that exclusively sells her work, but says she did not even know what a URL was before she signed up with Photobucket.com.

She took advantage of a feature that allowed her to put a watermark on her pictures to prevent users from downloading her images without paying her. She says she did not know that the software gives users tools to remove the mark.

In late 2007 or early 2008, Wolk noticed that her images were being copied, displayed and modified by other users. She told Photobucket about it months later.

http://www.courthousenews.com/2012/01/05/42765.htm

[RC]

1. Is the web site responsible or is the user responsible for any copyright violations of their works?

"On Jan. 24, Facebook, Google, Twitter and other major user-generated websites plan to have a blackout to protest the Stop Online Privacy Act, which authorizes the federal government to shut down websites suspected of copyright infringement. "

I think it has be up to the owner of the picture. If you find one or more of your photos being used without your permission, it is your responsibility to do something about it.

Anyone can look at most of the photo web sites and download any picture they see. And even if the site makes it so you cannot download a picture, there are simple ways you can get it anyway.

The photo web site should have the responsibility of helping photo owner resolve the problem, up to a point, but...
It is simply unrealistic for any photo web site to continuously comb through any or all the photos looking for copyright violations. How are they supposed to know anyway?

[Hugabear]

2. Not now, but if SOPA becomes law, then perhaps

There's the rub with this new draconian law, if it passes - websites such as Photobucket, Ebay, Craigslist, Google, etc will all be responsible for everything that is posted or linked on their sites.