Up until recently it’s been nearly impossible to know for certain where your online photos might end up on the Internet. As we’ve heard over the years a growing vocal minority will be the first to jump on photographers complaining about online image theft stating “Get used to it. You put it online. That’s how it is.” This argument is anything but true and frustrates the hell out of photographers who know better.
It’s become clear there is a growing interest in new technologies to address the current “wild west” nature of image theft on the Internet by stock agencies and individual photographers alike. Google recently released a research paper on VisualRank that like text search assigns a weighting and ranking to images while also leveraging image-recognition software methods. Although Google is the 800 pound gorilla of search they’ve been beat to the punch by Idée Inc. who recently released a private beta of TinEye. As you’ll see in TinEye’s demonstration video they’ve created an image search that is as simple as a Google search. All an end user has to do is reference an image online or upload a low resolution image and TinEye returns results of where that image is currently found online. What is most impressive is their image matching technology that will match similar images even if they’ve been cropped, resized or Photoshop’d.
I am a born cynic, but after putting TinEye to the test with some of my photos I’ve quickly become a believer and can’t wait for them to expand their search index and hopefully implement a Google Alert like service. At the moment they’ve indexed a relatively small portion of the Internet (roughly 500,000,000 images), but they’re asking beta testers to recommend sites to index. The service at the moment is rather narrow, but I can see where this has legs to quickly expand.
Just to show an example I decided to search one of my more commonly referenced photos of the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree in New York City. The blog post containing this image has been accessed nearly 50,000 times and it is one of my most popular photos. With out a doubt I knew this would end up somewhere it was not supposed to. In the past by monitoring my web site log I’ve caught a few people using the image with out my knowledge, so I figured this would be a perfect example to test on TinEye.
Sure enough I referenced the image on my blog and found a few more sites (see above) that had slipped by me who have been using my photo without my knowledge or permission.
Granted the jury is still out with TinEye, but my initial experience has been a good one. The simplicity of the interface, the image-recognition capabilities and speed at which it finds images has caught my eye. I’ll definitely be watching TinEye as it develops and provide feedback through its beta stage.
If you’re curious to try TinEye let me know in your comment to this post. I have 50 invites that I can share.
Technorati Tags: copyright, photo, image, search, theft, technology, TinEye
Edie
on June 5 2008
I’d like to try it, Jim! Thanks for the offer.
Edie
Donncha O Caoimh
on June 5 2008
I’d love to try it. Maybe I can find a few more of the sites that used my “Aflac duck” photo from a few years back.
BTW - have you tried the wp-super-cache plugin? That may help with the load on your server, and on the new server too of course. More info and download link at http://ocaoimh.ie/wp-super-cache/
Aaron B. Hockley
on June 5 2008
As a photographer and blogger I’m always looking for solutions such as these; if you have an invite code I’d love one.
luca
on June 5 2008
I’d love one, thanks.
luca dot filigheddu at gmail dot com
Luca
Raoul
on June 5 2008
I’d like an invite, please. Thanks!
dawn
on June 5 2008
I’m very interested in trying it out. I do Google searches, have Google alerts, and a few other things, but I’m sure there are a few that slip through the cracks for me, too.
Tony Rath
on June 5 2008
Jim,
About time a tool like this is developed. Would be interested in trying it out. Thanks.
Tony
Esther G. Ure
on June 5 2008
I would be very interested in trying it out. What a fantastic bit of information!
cmiper
on June 5 2008
Thanks for the article and review. I would be interested in an invite While I do post all of my photos under CC BY-NC I still find them being used against CC often enough that this would be handy.
Phill Price
on June 5 2008
Hi Jim - I’d love to try out the service, if there are any invites left?
Mark Anderson
on June 5 2008
I would love to test it out. Send an invite my way as well.
cmiper
on June 5 2008
Do you see the email address that is required for posting? Just in case not: cmi.per at gmail.com
Thanks again.
Enrique Aguirre
on June 5 2008
Good to see that you are keping yourself busy despite the broken toe!
If you still have an invite left, I would love one.
Thanks!
PS: Long time no see… we should meet up some time.
Mark Zanzig
on June 5 2008
Me, me, me!
Jim, if you could get me an invite, that would be great.
One word of caution, though: the worst offenders will probably NOT found by the search as TinEye still needs to somehow spider the web. If they do and behave like good bots, they respect robots.txt rules. But the heavy infringers usually block bots from the areas where the infringement happens.
But I agree that such a service is a very positive step into the right direction, enabling us to defend our copyrights in an increasingly competitive market.
Tom
on June 5 2008
Sounds interesting. I’d love an invite too. Thanks!
paul s
on June 5 2008
I would like an invite as well, this could truly be a remarkable product when fully developed.
Ponder
on June 5 2008
I would also love an invite, I’d really like to try this out. Thank you!
Dave
on June 5 2008
Don’t know how many times I’ve had to hunt down people stealing my images. I’d love to try it.
Thanks,
Dave
jason
on June 5 2008
interesting article, would love to a invite for tineye, not that iam expecting to find many people who have stolen my images ( i hope)
cheers
Jason
Tom Steele
on June 5 2008
I’d like an invite - thank you.
tsteele93 A T yahoo . youknowwhat
Della Huff
on June 5 2008
Hi Jim,
I would love to try the service. I’ve had a few negative experiences with individuals and companies using my photos without permission. It’s very frustrating. One thing that I’d add to your argument is that image theft can put photographers at some legal risk, too, when they’re licensing images for exclusive usage and image thieves infringe on that license. Anyway, TinEye sounds like a great technology and I’d love to test it out. Thanks!
Avelino
on June 6 2008
I don’t think my stuff is of the caliber for theft, but I’d love to try it out and see if I’ve got a reason to be more cautious.
Sherri Meyer
on June 6 2008
Jim,
Great post. I would also love to be added to your list.
Thanks,
Sherri
Jim Goldstein
on June 6 2008
Now that my blog is back working the way it should I wanted to relay an update that I still have invites. If you’re not commenting because you’re assuming I’m out think otherwise.
s4to335
on June 6 2008
Hey Jim…put me on your list. Thanks.
Steve
Claudia
on June 6 2008
Hi Jim, thanks for the tipp. I’d definitely like to check it out. Would you please also end me an invite?
Thanks,
Claudia
Gary Simmons
on June 6 2008
Very interesting…. I would love an invite to Tineye, if you don’t mind.
Ron Niebrugge
on June 6 2008
Hi Jim,
I’m out of the office right now, but I would love to give it a try when I get back.
Thanks!
Ron
looey
on June 6 2008
Hey Jim,
Please send me an invite. Everyone once in awhile, I’ll have a photo with a suspicious number of hits and it always leaves me curious as to where it’s ended up.
Thanks,
looey
matt sallee
on June 6 2008
jim -
this is interesting. love to try it.
matt
Brad Mangas
on June 6 2008
Hi Jim, sign me up too. Thanks
Brad
Who Is Stealing Your Photos Online? | JMG-Galleries - Jim M. Goldstein Photography: travel, landscape, and nature pictures - stock photos and fine art prints | Allyn Edmonds
on June 6 2008
[...] Continue Reading: Who Is Stealing Your Photos Online? | JMG-Galleries - Jim M. Goldstein Photography: travel, landscap… [...]
Kurt Triebe
on June 6 2008
Hey Jim-
Very interesting technology, indeed. I’d love to have an invite to the service if you have any left… I’m curious if any of my images are being used “out there” without my permission.
Thanks!
Kurt
Sterling Franken-Steffen
on June 6 2008
Good find. Any invites still available?
Jyoteen Majmudar
on June 6 2008
I would love to give it a go. thanks Jim.
Mike Postorino
on June 6 2008
Sounds like an interesting bit of technology. I would love to give it a try. Thanks!
Embrace Life Wedding Photography
on June 6 2008
Jim -
Thank you for sharing this. If you still have an invite left, I’d love to give this a try.
Thanks a lot.
- Adam George
Embrace Life
bruce eichman
on June 6 2008
thank you! sounds like an unfortunate, yet necessary, bit of technology…love to give it a try should you have an invite left…thanks again
Steven Vore
on June 6 2008
I’m definitely interested, it’s a common discussion and “problem” that we all share.
Tim Marsh (TRM)
on June 6 2008
Wow, one of the reasons I don’t post a lot of my work. However this tool would possibly open that up so I could share more of the killer photos I have to solicit folks for prints, etc.
Thanks for bringing this to our attention Jim!
Don Hall
on June 6 2008
Jim, I’d be interested in trying the search product.
Thanks
Don
Ilse
on June 7 2008
I would like to try it.
Ilse (gorgopis)
Bill Woolf
on June 7 2008
Interesting, I would like to try it. Than you for the information about this new technology.
Ben
on June 7 2008
Hi Jim,
I’d appreciate an invite if there are still any available.
Cheers,
ben
Flemming Gade
on June 7 2008
Hi Jim,
Looks quite interesting!
I’d love to try it!
Have a great weekend
Flemming
Mark Higgins
on June 7 2008
Hi,
Can I have an invite please, this tineye tool looks amazing…
Cheers
Mark
Mati Milstein
on June 7 2008
I’d like to try TinEye if you have an invites left. Thanks much! Very interesting…
Ciao,
Mati
Link Roundup 06-07-2008
on June 7 2008
[...] Who Is Stealing Your Photos Online? JMG Galleries Info & review of TinEye image search and the benefit it provides to photographers tracking image usage. Invites available for private beta of TinEye. [...]
Brian
on June 7 2008
The service sounds great, if you (or any other commenters by now) have an invite code, I would love to try them out.
Jim
on June 7 2008
I’m out of invites at the moment. As soon as I get more I’ll be sure to pick up on inviting those that comment here. Sorry Brian I ran out just before you commented.
Anthony
on June 7 2008
I’d love to have a go at the service if/when you get more invites.
Jim
on June 7 2008
Just got more invites… leave a comment and I’ll relay one to you if you’re interested.
Andrea McLaughlin
on June 7 2008
I would love to have a TinEye invite. BTW it’s such a great name!
Thanks!
Lisa
on June 7 2008
Hey, Jim. This is a great thing. Finally, right? I’d love an invite if you still have one.
Brooke
on June 8 2008
Wow! Amazing!! I would lovelovelove to try it!!
Geoff
on June 8 2008
Jim, I’d like to try this out if you still have any invites. Thanks, Geoff.
Scott Van Dyke
on June 8 2008
Thanks for the info Jim…if there are anymore I would love to test..I understand if you are max out.
Jim
on June 8 2008
Just in case people are arriving to this post late I still have invites.
Lisa
on June 8 2008
Got the invite. Thanks, Jim!
Toby Smithe
on June 8 2008
Hey, still got any invites? I’d be very glad if one appeared my way
cj99si
on June 8 2008
Looks like im too late, I would like to try it though. Thanks for the info!
-Corey
Funda Hemimoglu
on June 9 2008
l would be very very happy to see your pictures taken all over this nice world.
Thank you if you’ll do.
Funda Hemimoglu
on June 9 2008
Sorry, l have some more to add;
Congratulates on your work, you know you are best. You are young and have lots of years full of success.
l must give my especial thanks by your link to one of your friends; Mr. Dan Calistrat ,whom l got your name; he is great too.
Good Luck(Salute from Turkey)
Dan Gonyea
on June 9 2008
I’m a concert photographer who has been fighting with several users on Ebay and online in general who are stealing and selling my photos. Cease and desist letters always seem to work well, but the trick is to find these people in the first place. I’d love to get an invite if that is at all possible. Thank you for posting this; I’ve been waiting for something like this for quite a bit.
melissa
on June 9 2008
Any invites still available? would love to give it a try.
Charmaine
on June 9 2008
I sent u an email about the invite before, and you told me to drop a line here =] I’d love to try TinEye, so it would be great if you could send me an invite. Thanks again, Jim! =D
- Charmaine
Jorge
on June 9 2008
This is by far the most interesting thing I’ve read so far this year. Very promising! Send me an invite if you have any left. Thx
Pick of the Week: Link Edition - Jun 10, 2008 | Words: Irrational
on June 10 2008
[...] Who is Stealing your photos online? - JMG-Galleries - Jim introduces a new platform (or shall we call it search engine), TinEye, that uses image recognition algorithms and allows you to search for copies of your images online (even modified ones). I’ve been using TinEye for some time and can say that, although their search range is still small, it works. Jim also has some invites to give, in case you’re interested. [...]
Sarah
on June 10 2008
If you still have any invites left, I’d be very grateful for one. I’m nowhere near professional photography standard, but I have two flickr images that seem to have massive hits, and although I google them, I fear they are being used but not coming up in google searches. Especially when my stats reveal search terms like “free wizard image” and “free mountain image” have come up!
Thanks a lot for your help, and the article was a really insightful read.
DRoOpY
on June 10 2008
Wow, this is very ineteresting… hook me up if you can!
EXIF and Beyond: Leila Boujnane | JMG-Galleries - Jim M. Goldstein Photography: travel, landscape, and nature pictures - stock photos and fine art prints
on June 12 2008
[...] an invite to TinEye? I’m happy to share those I have or go directly to TinEye and submit a [...]
Adam Nollmeyer - AcmePhoto
on June 12 2008
Who would want to steal images, you know with the lowering cost of digital cameras..
TinEye looks pretty great, I can’t wait to try it. Now they should just partner with somone to email / invoice people who “borrow” work without asking.
Adam in Phoenix.
Charlene
on June 14 2008
It sounds like magic! The internet is great but has so many negative aspects.
I’ve started to upload smaller sizes and including a copyright on images with the hope that it is too much trouble to get it off.
I’d love an invitation to try it
Charlene
jon
on June 17 2008
This sounds really good. Would love to try it if you could possibly send an invite. Thanks
jon
PhotoNetCast #6 - Some Thoughts on Analog and Digital Photography | PhotoNetCast
on June 23 2008
[...] Who is Stealing your Photos Online?; EXIF and Beyond: Leila [...]
NaveenKumar
on July 8 2008
Hi,
I would like to try TinyEye.
Would be glad to receive an invitation from you(if you are still left with invitations :D)
Thanks,
NaveenKumar.
Petra
on July 8 2008
Hi, This sounds like a great tool! Thanks for bringing it to our attention. I’d love to try it out if you still have invites.
Thanks!
Petra
S M
on July 10 2008
Great post. I wonder if a new google search tool would possibly be more effective due to increased scope/cache? Would love to try TinEye if invites are still available.
Terry Karney
on July 12 2008
I’m interesed in trying it. I’ve applied for an invite, but if you have one going spare, I’d be more than willing to try it out and let you know what I think.
nicole armand
on July 14 2008
I am interested in an invite also.
Thank you,
Nicole
Tony
on July 16 2008
Realizing that I’ve come into this party a month late, if you have any invites left, I’d love one. While I dont think I’m nearly important enough to steal from, this sounds facinating.
Cindi
on July 16 2008
Sounds like a very handy tool! I’m late to the party too, but I’d love an invite if there are any left to be found.