How would you feel if you came across another surrogacy blog, another surrogacy web site with your personal photos of you and your family on them, using them to promote their surrogacy business without your consent? This is what happened to me today, as it was flagged to me that my photos were being used in this manner without my permission. I felt violated and hurt that me and my son would be exploited in this way and saddened more than anything else.
I have since scrubbed my blog of any photos of me and my son. Business and Marketing 101: if you want to use other people's photos, then ask for permission first. Otherwise, you're opening yourself up to a world of legal troubles. Most people with common sense would get a subscription to a stock photo bank to avoid legalities.
I had a new blog entry planned for this weekend as well with photos to share but of course, now, I have little motivation to post and am wary about sharing photos from this point on. Some people would have deleted their blog over something like this. I won't as I want to keep sharing my story with others, just not have my photos appear on other web sites without my knowledge. It's a shame that I will now have to be discretionary as to what photos I put up on my blog of my son and I since there are people out there that will use them for their own personal reasons.
***UPDATE: Since this post, they seem to have removed the photos of me and my son so as a courtesy, I've removed any references to them here. But they never once apologized, answered/acknowledged any of my e-mails/concerns, which I find questionable. This is not how I would do business. Hopefully though this post will still be helpful to some and make us be more mindful/cautious about the kind of personal photos we share online.
I have since scrubbed my blog of any photos of me and my son. Business and Marketing 101: if you want to use other people's photos, then ask for permission first. Otherwise, you're opening yourself up to a world of legal troubles. Most people with common sense would get a subscription to a stock photo bank to avoid legalities.
I had a new blog entry planned for this weekend as well with photos to share but of course, now, I have little motivation to post and am wary about sharing photos from this point on. Some people would have deleted their blog over something like this. I won't as I want to keep sharing my story with others, just not have my photos appear on other web sites without my knowledge. It's a shame that I will now have to be discretionary as to what photos I put up on my blog of my son and I since there are people out there that will use them for their own personal reasons.
***UPDATE: Since this post, they seem to have removed the photos of me and my son so as a courtesy, I've removed any references to them here. But they never once apologized, answered/acknowledged any of my e-mails/concerns, which I find questionable. This is not how I would do business. Hopefully though this post will still be helpful to some and make us be more mindful/cautious about the kind of personal photos we share online.
Have they actually taken the photos to use them, or just hard linked them ?.
ReplyDeleteIf they have just linked to them to use the photos, you can alter the source picture to something gross or disgusting, to force them to take the pictures down. The other way, is to watermark any pictures up on the net, so the watermark appears over the important area of the picture, so people can see where the source of the picture was.
Hi Brian, they actually took the pictures, cropped them and manipulated them and then rehosted them on their web site. They've since removed the photos from their web site and blog so I modified my blog entry.
DeleteThe watermark (and changing the hardlink to something else lol) are great ideas though. Thanks ;)
DeleteFor crying out aloud, what a shame, web-marketers will never stop trying. What to do...blogs without photos !?. Hopefully you find other ways to stop clandestine usage. Thanks for writing to the CHC. They do have a comfort letter to facilitate getting medical surrogacy visas, even if it does not resolve the problem(s) for those falling outside the conventionally "married for two years" group. It does confirm that genetically-linked babies born abroad have the right to a Canadian entry.
ReplyDeleteSadly it was a surrogacy blog and web site. When intended parents are looking to build trust with clinics and other partners, taking and using people's personal photos without their consent is not the right way to do it!
DeleteThat's really unfortunate that this has happened Toban. I always look forward to seeing pictures of you and Orion!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tip off Toban. We all lose out when things like this happen. I wonder how many other blogs they've pirated for photos?
ReplyDeleteHopefully no one else's... I would like to continue putting my photos up, though. Unfortunately it will have to be with a watermark or something of sorts.
DeleteToban, I've stopped blogging pics of my kids, not because of marketing of my pics, but as the kids get older, they deserve some privacy, and mummy is concerned about all those foul people out there who may get off on even clothed photos of little children. It's a shame this happens, and the situation with your pics, because those we share our photos with are our friends and family and we love to have their comments and well wishes, but have to deny that due to the minority of people who do the wrong thing.
ReplyDeleteBit of a worry a surrogacy blog is using pics of a baby they had nothing to do with in order to promote their business, they musn't actually have any clients of their own. Scary stuff.
Meg xxx
That site is corrupt...they spam my blog frequently and what they have done with others photos like yours is horrible...scuzzy business for sure!
ReplyDeleteI agree... even though our personal photos are in the public sphere, I'm not sure what made them think it was right to take someone else's personal photo and use it to promote their services on their web site. Does not reflect well on their business, that's for sure!
ReplyDeleteAlmost 2 years old....??? I know can you believe our babies are almost toddlers?? :(.
ReplyDeleteOh how sad...I always look so forward to your posts and seeing handsome Orion. But totally understand. Sorry, Toban...that totally blows. Hope all's well. Sending lotsa love from Hawaii...
ReplyDelete