Photo Blog

We want to keep you posted and publish occasional newsletters that can include news, information, opinions and data. Read everything we know.

Subscribe

Join Email List

Teaching Students How to Steal

By Ron Lee
Published: 04/19/24 Topics: Copyrights, Education, Photography, Reputation Comments: 0

 

How students are being taught has always been important but has been prominently in the news for some time. There is controversy in all grades from pre-school to college, undergrad and grad degrees.
 
People on the right say students of all ages are being indoctrinated or brainwashed with woke, socialist, or even communist ideas.
 
People on the left say there is no such thing. Their lessons are intended to teach better ways of seeing the world and the right is out of touch.
 
No matter the viewpoint, it would be good to hope there could be foundational knowledge on which all ends of the political spectrum could agree.
 
But not a guy we’ll call "Mr. Smith" for this story.
 
He promotes himself as an educational consultant of some sort, paid handsomely to consult and advise teachers and schools. Unfortunately, his behavior reveals he is teaching students  to cheat and steal by his example.
 
By contrast, Robert Fulghum became a respected author and educator by writing the book "All I need to know I learned in in Kindergarten."  He espoused valuable wisdom like, say "please" and "thank you", tell the truth, and admit mistakes.
 
Apparently, Mr. Smith did not read the book, because when caught stealing he used every trick in the book to get away with his crime.
 
Using his ill-gotten gains as a supposed educator, Mr. Smith invested in real estate. He was happy when another company covered the cost of having some technically sophisticated photos taken of his properties, for their own use.
 
Mr. Smith liked the photos, so much so in fact, that he had his assistant ask if he could buy the photos in his real estate advertising. But upon hearing the price of a  license for the photos, he refused saying that the price was too high.
 
At this point, Mr. Smith had not yet showed his lack of ethics.  Only later did the photographers discover that Smith was using dozens of the copyrighted photos on websites to rent out his properties and make large income from them. He may have used them free for years without any remorse for his theft.
 
So what did Mr. Smith do when he was caught red-handed? When the photos were discovered online? Did he follow Fulghum’s advice to tell the truth?
 
Of course not.
 
Instead, Smith hired an attorney to dream up every devious legal trick, to cheat, and to lie, in hopes of letting Smith off scott free. Finding himself in court, of course, Mr. Smith fabricated excuses:
 
  • I thought I paid for them.
  • I thought my assistant paid for them.
  • The assistant stole the photos, not me.
  • She downloaded them thinking they were free.
  • It has been been far too long to pay for them now.
  • The devil made me do it.
 
OK, he did not claim that last point, but maybe he should. Because Mr. Smith fabricated all the others while raking in dough from his real estate.  
 
The outcome of this theft has not been determined, but it must be expected that Smith will do as he has done before. He will lie, and twist, and blame others instead of taking responsibility. What a bad example for students.
 
Hubris causes supposedly sophisticated people to look down their noses at creative people like photographers. That is nothing new. High income individuals consider themselves superior and treat artists as inferior. And they try underpay them or not pay at all
 
It is sad that the photographers must pay court and lawyer fees to force Mr. Smith to fess up and to pay up, for what he so clearly stole. But sadder still for the world of education.
 
Mr. Smith will continue to promote himself as an expert on education. People will continue to hire and pay him at a much higher rate than photographers, and they won’t even know that Smith is a theft and a liar.
 
That means Mr. Smith will continue on his life-long journey to teach kids and other students how to be a thief. That is sadder than any story Politian’s could argue about education.

Read more

Author: Ron Lee – Contributor, Signatours Photo Team
Blog #: 0988 – 04/19/24

Sponsor: Signatours Photo Team – Specializing n Real Estate, Lodging and Hospitality photos, in high dynamic range 9HDR), wish three dimension tours (3D), grpahic design and more. – Signatours.com

Two Faced Copyright Attorney Lies to Photographers

By Staff
Published: 04/19/24 Topics: Comments: 0

Two faced copyright attorney

Some intellectual property rights attorney find it rewarding to protect writers,. photographers, videographers and other artists because they love and recognize creativity, while often being in capable of such greatness themselves.

But other copyright attorneys  are solely in the copyright game to fatten their own pockets. They could care less about the starving artists who make far less than what fat cat attorneys rake in. They gleefully play both sides of the fence even if it means skewering artists. Anything for a buck.

Photographers anxious to protect themselves from copyright thieves are warned to stay away from attorneys who promise to protect their work while, at the same time, serving the thieves who steal that work. They are anxius to devour well meaning artists every chance they get

Take one "Esquire" who we’ll call "Mr. Jones" in this article, whose  website boasts of his copyright legal credentials. That website won’t be quoted verbatim because God forbid this article would infringe on his writings which, of course, he so carefully and prominently marks as "Copyright" and will surely contest as deviously as he fails to do for artists. 

Laughably Jones quotes the old adage that "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery." But of course mistates it because he is ignorant of literature, didn’t bother to research it, or does not want to give credit  to Oscar Wilde iwho n 1892 wrote it in this play "Lday Winderme’s Fan."  

By the way, the quote continues ". . . that mediocrity can pay to greatness" which is precisely why this charlatan attorney finds it necessary to represent infringers.

With devious intent  attorney Jones admonishes photographers to protect what is theirs by filing a copyright.  Although copyright is effect the moment it is created, and can be filed by the artists with a small fee to the U.S. Government, Mr. Jones frightens artists into engaging him him to do the simple filing, and only so he can fleece them for large fee.

His website  also proclaims the he can help photographers win damages against infringements, and supposedly get paid, by avoiding court and settling quickly.  But only if they pay him of course.

But on the other hand be warned, if an infringer is to hire Jones, this attorney  more than willing to throw lies and innuendos, and fabricate every possible excuse to help the infringing thieves avoid paying.

Perhaps the most obvious way to show this attorney’s incompetence is to watch his video online, It is poorly written,  amateurishly performed, and terribly produced. Bad video, Bad Audio, Bad graphics, Bad lighting.

It is no wonder that such a hack finds it necessary to take any an all clients. even the grossly guilty guilty infringers. Rather than protecting innocent artists with shallow pockets, he flip-flops to represent wealthy copyright thieves because he needs the dough.  

It is a mystery why some attorneys, in copyright and other legal disciplines, have such distasteful behavior. Is it their upbringing, their families, their friends,  their religions, their culture, or their financial plight?

The answer will never be known. 

What can be proven is that no photographer, videographer, writers or other creative artist should ever hire an attorney who is willing to aid and abet the very people who will steal their work. Doing so is like dealing with the devil. They promise the world to rope you in, but happily throw other photographers into the fires of hell. And all because they have no morals.

So when an artist searches for an attorney to represent their copyrrights look only for one who represents only artists. At least you’ll know which side of the war they are on. 

Read more

Author: Staff – Contributors, Signatours Photo Team
Blog #: 1007 – 04/19/24

Sponsor: Signatours Photo Team – Specializing n Real Estate, Lodging and Hospitality photos, in high dynamic range 9HDR), wish three dimension tours (3D), grpahic design and more. – Signatours.com

The First - and Maybe the Only - Honest Copyright Infringer

By Staff
Published: 04/19/24 Topics: Comments: 0

When an expert copyright attorney phoned his photographer client, he found himself chuckling. Something strange had happened, something that had never taken place during the attorney's decades of litigating against business people who had stolen copyrighted photos.
 
"What’s so funny?" asked the photographer.
 
"Do you remember the real estate broker who copied dozens of your photos for use on his listings?" asked the attorney. "I sent him a cease-and-desist letter. In most cases, the thieves respond with all kinds of nonsensical excuses."
 
"Well, today, that broker called me. As soon as I picked up the phone, he introduced himself and said, 'Hey, I am the guy who stole your photos. My bad. What do I owe you?'"
 
Now the photographer laughed saying, "Well, he can afford to pay because our photos have helped him sell several million-dollar houses on which he made huge commissions. But why is that funny?"
 
"Because in all my years of pursuing people who copy intellectual property, like photos, that is the first honest person I have ever spoken with," said the attorney. "And for that kind of honesty, I think we should go easy on the damages he should pay."
 
But why did he fess up?
 
"Thieves usually claim ignorance," the attorney continued, "calling it an accident, or unintentional, or they blame someone else, or say they couldn’t help take the photos because they were so beautiful."
 
Or they hire an questionable attorney who knows their client is "guilty", but uses every trick in the book to reduce or eliminate the damages their client should pay.
 
Of course, those are not defenses for theft, but somehow people feel that stealing copies of someone’s work is less dishonest than stealing money. Attorneys who help them complete the crime are as just as culpable.
 
"When I asked him why he decided to be helpful and honest, here is what he said, 'My father taught me to take responsibility for errors and not to lie about them,' said the broker. 'In fact, it's easier to fess up than lying to myself and disappointing my dad.'"
 
Too bad most cheaters don’t have a father who teaches them to respect others, even if it's just about a few photographs.

Read more

Author: Staff – Contributors, Signatours Photo Team
Blog #: 1009 – 04/19/24

Sponsor: Signatours Photo Team – Specializing n Real Estate, Lodging and Hospitality photos, in high dynamic range 9HDR), wish three dimension tours (3D), grpahic design and more. – Signatours.com

Submit Your Blog!