Perhaps this is a 'dumb' question that has been answered many times before. I see some very nice photos that are copyrighted and also some that are not as nice also copyrighted IMHO. Writing on a photo spoils it for me. I usually only give thumbs-up to pictures with no writing. I suppose that some people copyright so that no one will use their picture. I do not copyright mine. Am I being naive? What do you think? Has anyone had a bad experience with someone using their photo?

Some people do it so others will not 'steal' the photo and use it for financial gain.
I don't copyright mine either but if I ever take a really good picture I might consider protecting it.

Many of us have had bad experiences with other people using our photos and claiming them as their own. I think most of us who choose the "All rights reserved" license option are guarding against those experiences. I also know of a few members who supplement their income by selling their photos, and they certainly don't want those photos to be used by anyone else.

I don't always use my copyright but if I do, I try to make it with a small discreet font. I do sell many of mine and don't want it used for gains of someone else selling on eBay and such.

I thought the copyright thing was a default setting. I didn't realize you could change it on individual photos. I'm sure I have no photos good enough that anyone would ever want to 'steal' one. ;-) However, it does give me a strange sense of security to see my name on it--like, oh, that one's mine, isn't it? Although I guess there are a few I've uploaded that I might want to disown!

Paul, I hadn't put it together that you did not have copyright info on your photos, or that you weren't 'liking' those that did! That's an interesting perspective that I hadn't thought of--but again, it's not something I've given much thought to at all. To me, it's just sort of like writing my name in a book before loaning it to someone--it's not my assessment of the quality of the book I'm lending out, just a reminder to the other person to return it to me. But that's probably a naive perspective on the internet.

Now I am self-conscious that I have a 'copyright' on my photos, and am wondering if I should turn it off, if it's something that annoys others to see, especially since my photos are generally run of the mill and not stellar.

My comment about not liking writing on pictures seems a little "nit-picky" to me now that I reconsider it. I hope it didn't offend anyone.

No, just food for thought!

I keep finding people on EBAY that use my photos to sell their seeds or plants. I usually hide my name in my photos or put it in an unobtrusive place.

I agree, food for thought. In the past, I opted for the watermark across the image but it bothered me. I personally never cared for the automated copyright fir my images, I have added it for uploading images for other nurseries if requested, changing it to write in their name. You can customize it to whatever you want. I add my writing in my Picasa editing program where I can select the font size and color.

IMHO a watermark is the most distracting on a lovely photo.........

Personally I never cared that much if someone would use my Photos. I know there are a lot of my pictures out there with and without my permission. Heh, for the longest time, maybe even still now, ANY photo out there of Epiphyllum phyllanthus ( growing in Guyana in trees and on rooftops) bloom was taken by me.

I don't mind the copyright at the bottom of the picture, but the watermark always kind of bothered me, even though I did a few like that myself. I kind of like the copyright at the bottom or to the side of the picture so I know who it belongs to.

I don't think I have pictures that are that worthy of copying, but the thought just kind of bothers me that someone would use one of my photos and claim as their own.

Sometimes even having the copywrite doesn't keep some one from using it and claiming it as their own. http://www.primrose.co.uk/semp...

Well, they did leave your copyright mark on it, they just weren't "authorized" to use the photo. Tsk tsk!

That's bold!

Lynn....do you have any reasonable recourse?

Send a DMCA request to them and if that fails, send it to their ISP. They will respond quite quickly when they are threatened with having their site removed from the internet.

Copyright infringement is a serious matter.

Interesting. I Iook forward to hearing what happens.

I just sent a message to their 'Live Chat' line and received an email telling me they would respond within two day.
Wow, that's an active live chat! Not a very good company so far.
Sorry they stole your photo and it's a good thing you spotted it.