Challenge to Neal.

[scottish-guy]

Ok, I have deliberately kept out of the recent wars, BUT today I'm alerted to my avatar being ripped from this site and transplanted on to this sussexstreedsyd's avatar.

Let's be clear what has been done here - this photo is of a person who is neither a member of SGT nor PBB/TBB and it is NOT in the public domain. Likewise it has been stolen from a person who is not a member of PBB/TBB under this or any other name - it is a PRIVATE avatar on an anonymous forum. The boy obviously did NOT give his permission for his photo to be misused by a TBB member, so there is absolutely no justification for it being on the PBB/TBB site. He is not even Thai, he does not work in a bar, and the photo appears nowhere else except here on SGT. Nobody on SGT or GT or GB would DREAM of doing what has been done on PBB/TBB - in fact nobody with a shred of decency would do that.

So - let's see what the Controller of TBB is going to do about this - he says he is not 357sussexstreetsyd - if that's true then there should be no difficulty in FORCING the offending member to remove the stolen avatar as he has no genuine reason and no authorisation for using it.

So - here's a chance for Neal to do what is unquestionably the right thing. Let's see what happens.

[scottish-guy]

Giving credit where credit is due - the stolen avatar has now been removed.

Thank you kindly.

[Brad the Impala]

Likewise it has been stolen from a person who is not a member of PBB/TBB under this or any other name - it is a PRIVATE avatar on an anonymous forum.

I think that once you chose to use this photo as your avatar on a forum that is public, even if anonymous, you placed it in the public domain.

[scottish-guy]

Brad, I see it differently - I took the photo, I therefore own the copyright on the image.

Simply because I permit the image to be placed on SGT does not mean that I give up the copyright.

If someone else wishes to use the image, he must ask for my permission, and I was neither asked for permission nor gave any.

Imagine if a commercial photographer sold/assigned his work to e.g. The New York Times - the fact that it had then appeared "in the public domain" (i.e. in the NYT) would not permit The Bangkok Post to reproduce it without permission.

Having said that, I really don't think we need to get into legalities at all - it's simply wrong to "steal" someone else's images .

However, as I said, the issue is resolved, I'm happy that it is, and that's an end to the matter as far as I'm concerned.

:hello2:

[bao-bao]

Simply because I permit the image to be placed on SGT does not mean that I give up the copyright.
In some cases it does, unfortunately. Laws vary from country to country and situation to situation. On some sites - in that fine print hardly anyone reads before clicking "I agree" - you are essentially giving ownership and "use" privileges of your photos and/or words to the site. Can't say about the site that you mentioned.

Not to nit pick, but technically we don't permit the image to be placed when we post them ourselves. I've had photos blatantly stolen and used without my permission, even with the watermark on them. I see the hits to them and where they're coming from.

Speaking of bad behavior by seriously misguided folks, though, I do agree with you about your avatar being stolen. It was more than tacky and without justification.

[joe552]

I don't want to add fuel to the fire - but scottie I think you were wrong to use the photo in the first place if it was personal and someone you know, rather that a file photo of an Asian boy. You put it in the public domain - can't really complain if it's copied (except on that site, of course). but does your friend know his picture is on here?

[scottish-guy]

No, I'm sorry Joe - I disagree with you entirely.

Thanks to both of you for your input but as I have said, I do not wish to continue the dispute - as far as I'm concerned it was resolved 2 or 3 days ago and had Brad not posted his thoughts I would not have commented further - but since he did, I felt it justified to give my view. I have already thanked those concerned for removing the pic and have no desire or intention to continue arguing about it - so can I request no further contributions please.

Fuck me - I will even delete the pic myself!! Anything for a quiet life :hello2: