Matt on ASMP’s ProAdvice Forum posted this link to a NYTimes article, worried about the photographer ramifications. PlaceLocal is an online ad creator system that gathers elements and combines them into a cheap ad. Some of the elements it gathers are, apparently, photos.
Sure, it looks bad on its surface, but it is always a good idea to gather more data before jumping to conclusions. So, I contacted the company and asked them about their policies and, specifically, where they were getting their images. Since the write-up in the Times, I didn’t expect a rapid response, but I was wrong.
Victor Wong, Chief Exec of PaperG (creators of the PlaceLocal system), sent me an email in response, less than 2 hours after my inquiry. In it he made clear that they are “definitely respectful of right holders, and make best efforts to make sure the elements used to create advertisements follow comply with copyright regulations.” Good!
He went further to list some of their requirements and processes, which include requiring requiring their customers certify that they have the rights to use any images they provide in the ads. The company itself gets images from the customers, the customers’ websites (which are then vetted to make sure the rights are ok), and PaperG has its own stock image library.
That last bit is important. I think we will be seeing more of that–self-contained image libraries.
Anyway, on the surface, at least, it is clear they are aware of the issues of copyright and, unless Victor is blowing smoke, they aren’t stealing images. I take it as a good sign that Mr. Wong responded personally to the issue.
Now, of course there is the potential for images to be used without permission–that is, an advertiser (Bob’s Tires, for example) could tell this company that he owns the photos he had taken by PhotoSue when, in fact, he doesn’t, but that is no different than the usual concerns we always have. It is important to educate our local and smaller clients most of all, because they are the least likely to know and understand how copyright works. Part of that needs to be an explanation of how the images can’t be released on the internet (unless the client purchases those rights) because of the probability of theft later by others.