Embeded Contact Info Vs Linking Images

[Jay Beckman]

I got a phone call tonight from another photographer asking me why I don't embed my contact information in my images?

After I picked my jaw off the floor, I told him in no uncertain terms that I religiously insert my name, phone number, address, etc into every file I import into Lightroom.  I may not take the time to include Title, Scene, Location, Genre, State, etc but the basics go on everything.  I also make sure that everything I upload to Zenfolio is marked as Status: Copyrighted.

He shoots back that my stuff is coming back "Copyright Status: Unknown"  Now, if you're aware of the Orphan Works Act, you know this is a very bad thing.  For those who may not know, if you feel you've had a rightfully held copyright infringed upon, that contact info (along with registering your work) is your only defence.  The Orphan Works Act basically allows any image to be used if the copyright chain is not clearly defined and the one who wishes to use the image has made a "good faith effort" to find the rightful owner.  If your contact info is missing, you're SOL.

Some digging around and experimentation has led me to believe that linking images via hypertext [img] tags strips this information.  Unfortunately, this means that any and every image I've shared here this way sitting in cyberspace clean, clear and naked.  This is not good...

Anyone with a better understanding of the Web care to weigh in on this?  Is there a solution or alternative (short of actually uploading an image?)

Just something for folks to chew on.  Let's be careful out there...

- Jay

[Stephen Marshall]

I don't understand what this guy is saying. One of the first things I ever noticed about your images were the copyright and find it impossible to miss. After an amazingly brief search in the Exif data this is what I see:



Copyright is clearly there.

[Jay Beckman]

Copyright is there sure and I happen to include my webiste address as well but if all you found was © 2010 Jay Beckman .. All Rights Reserved and wanted to track me down to ask permsission to use the image or buy a license, etc, how would you find me?

IPTC Data is much more in depth and includes your:
- Name
- Address
- City
- State
- Country
- Phone Number
- Email Address
- Website

It's a more reliable way to find the image owner and a more solid way for the image owner to prove chain of ownership if a copyright issue arises.  The fact that it gets stripped when linking is a very big deal, trust me.

[Stephen Marshall]

Ah, ok I see what you're talking about now.

[Rob Silliman]

If the file contains the embedded info - then no matter how a user gets to that image - that embedded data should still be there.

Could it be that the browser or viewer can only see EXIM and not IPTC data?

[Jay Beckman]

Nope Rob...

Zenfolio has confirmed to me that their re-sizing proxy links strip IPTC Data.   

I pointed out to them that sending images out into the world as Orphan Works is kind of problematic from a marketing standpoint and they've bumped this issue up to their development team.

The only workaround right now is to create a file that is the size you want to share, watermark it on export, upload it and then link to the original image.  For example, if you test that funky looking BA 747 I posted, that one will show IPTC because it's a link back to the actual image which I created at 1024X and allow downloading the original.

Unfortunately, this means having to do everything twice.  One pass to create the 5000x JPEG that goes in the online gallery and another that goes in a locked gallery so people can't steal it.

- Jay

[Joe Copalman]

You know Jay, one of these days you're going to break the internet.

[Jay Beckman]

You know Jay, one of these days you're going to break the internet.

Wouldn't be the first thing I've borked...   

[jslugman]

Most web programs that display a thumbnail of your work strips this info out sad to say, not just ZF.

[F-16_fixer]

That's odd... I use Flickr to link all my photos and while Flickr does strip the EXIF data it does show my copyright info which is just my name and my email address.

[Jay Beckman]

That's odd... I use Flickr to link all my photos and while Flickr does strip the EXIF data it does show my copyright info which is just my name and my email address.

Again, this goes deeper than just the Copyright field.  The key bone of contention is that images come back off the web as "Copyright Status: Unknown" which could lead to Orphan Works issues.

I tested your White Tail Deer shot and you're right, no EXIF.  I do see your name as Author under Description and again as Creator under IPTC but the Copyright Status is Unknown.  Nowhere did I see any text claiming © of any kind.

[Dave S.]

Jay,

Have you heard back from Zenfolio on this?

- Dave

[Jay Beckman]

Jay,

Have you heard back from Zenfolio on this?

- Dave

Have not heard anything new since it got kicked up to the developers...