Is It Against Tch Policy....

[runninghorse]

for a TCH member who does graphic and website design to steal images from other websites and use them as their own? There have been several issues with someone who is a TCH member (and I won't name names) who has lifted several images and layouts from other designers and called them their own. This person has been asked to remove some images and has been asked to redo some layouts, but they keep doing the same thing. I really don't know what to do other than asking their host (TCH) if it's against Policy to do this and if there can be some kind of retribution?

[runninghorse]

Was just reading TCH's AUP and came across this...

 

TotalChoice Hosting's services may only be used for lawful purposes. Transmission, distribution, or storage of any information, data or material in violation of United States or state regulation or law, or by the common law, is prohibited. This includes, but is not limited to, material protected by copyright, trademark, trade secret, or any other statute. TotalChoice Hosting reserves the right to remove such illegal material from its servers or to immediately terminate your services without notice.

 

Should I contact the abuse department regarding my concerns?

[TCH-Andy]

Yes, it would be against out policy to use images that are Copyright to someone else.

 

Please put a ticket into the abuse department.

[Virtual Imager]

Should I contact the abuse department regarding my concerns?

That's what I would do.

 

Good for you. I'm glad someone is taking a stand. Everyone always says that if you post your images you just have to resign yourself to the fact that people will steal them and use them and take credit for them. But it doesn't have to be that way...

[runninghorse]

Thanks Virtual Imager.

 

Yes, this Person has done it long enough. I will be contacting the abuse department with the pertinant information this afternoon.

[Virtual Imager]

Let us know what happens.

 

VI

[prospector]

Using text and images from someone elses site without permission violates US Copyright laws and is a Federal offense.

This also includes, believe it or not, forwarding an email to someone else without permission of the emails original author.

If they have already been asked to remove such material and refused, contact the US Copyright office at http://www.copyright.gov/

[Virtual Imager]

Using text and images from someone elses site without permission violates US Copyright laws and is a Federal offense.

This also includes, believe it or not, forwarding an email to someone else without permission of the emails original author.

If they have already been asked to remove such material and refused, contact the US Copyright office at http://www.copyright.gov/

My question is: what if the material is created by me, but an actual copyright has not been obtained through the copyright office? This applies especially to page content and design... sometimes we update pages on an almost daily basis... do we need to get a new copyright every time? Or for every image? Can an entire body of work be protected? And isn't it still theft (although harder to prove) if there is no actual copyright? Can abuse still be reported to TCH, or for that matter to the copyright office, if we have not copyrighted our images, design, content, text, etc?

[TCH-Dick]

When is my work protected?

Your work is under copyright protection the moment it is created and fixed in a tangible form that it is perceptible either directly or with the aid of a machine or device.

 

Do I have to register with your office to be protected?

No. In general, registration is voluntary. Copyright exists from the moment the work is created. You will have to register, however, if you wish to bring a lawsuit for infringement of a U.S. work. See Circular 1, Copyright Basics, section “Copyright Registration.”

http://www.copyright.gov/help/faq/faq-general.html#mywork

[Virtual Imager]

Thanks, Dick, that's very helpful and exactly what I thought. Nice to see it in writing though.