Copyright tracking just got easier

How sure are you that your website images are all legal to use? 

By that, did you buy a licence or hire a photographer – or did you just pop on to Google to get a few shots, assuming no one would ever know. 

And the chances WERE that you’d be very unlucky to be found out. 

Copytrack and Pixsy

These 2 businesses have found a way to help photographers both find copyright infringements and also pursue compensation. 

It’s very simple.. 

1. Photographers upload their portfolio 
2. The software tracks the internet to find matches of all the images you’d uploaded
3. We check the “matches” of “hits” 
4. Any which are not licenced we flag up for legal action
5. Pixsy/Copytrack pursues the infringer for compensation
6. No win – no fee – Copytrack take a cut of the compensation

So fantastic for photographers – we should all be doing this to remind people that though we enjoy creating images, they also have a value and that should be respected. 

For businesses

This could cost thousands if you’ve got a blog packed full of unlicensed images – though it’s the front page of a website which will cost you the most. 

We’d recommend checking where the shots came from –

• If it’s all from a professional shoot, relax! You’re fine!
• If they all came from iStock (or any stock library), then just double check the account for expiry dates – I’m sure they’ll remind you when you need to renew though.
• If you’re not sure – this is dangerous. Ask the web company first. Then you can do a Google Image Search – using Google Chrome, there is a plugin which means you can “right click” any photo and search for it. It’ll usually find a few matches – and you can work out who the image is by. I’d go through your site and do this when you get chance – it’ll save getting an invoice for £400 per photo! 

See how it all works