Stolen picture and you'd never guess who

[MMtwo]

A funny story. I was on Facebook a couple of weeks ago and a picture of my finger came floating by in my feed. Apparently Ritani had a eager marketer that saw the sample Ritani plain shank picture I put on Pricescope and used it on their Facebook site. It had 1200 likes and plenty of comments (more after several days when they took it down). I was pretty shocked to have my own finger hawking my ring to me on my feed though I was disoriented at first, as the ring has not ever been discussed on Facebook! We're not engaged yet! Then I realized I had not uploaded it but Ritani had put it in their Facebook feed and taken it from my Pricescope thread.

When I told them they were not authorized to use the picture, Ritani on Facebook apologized and took the picture down. It does annoy me they used it for advertising without my permission. I called the company (to make sure they knew about it and it wasn't the same kid who made the mistake) and never received a response. To be honest that annoyed me worse. Actually, since they are a Pricescope sponsor, I wanted to give the company a chance to explain and hopefully compensate me a little bit, somehow, I don't know, right the wrong?.

So, not posting this and being ignored from their end doesn't feel very just. After giving them a chance to respond to me, and they did not, I of ended their window of opportunity. So here's my story The funny thing is if they would have just asked....

So after no response, I'm going to do the same thing. This is me, my finger, and some quote that's not mine.
My jeweler had given me a name at Ritani. he never bothered to call me back.

 

[JewelFreak]

Don't blame you for being annoyed, MM. I would be too. It's also pretty crude not to have responded to your phone call. At least they did take it down & apologized, though that sounds fairly pro-forma.

Why do companies continually do this sort of thing? Do they get away with it often enough to make it worthwhile? You see people irritated & angry frequently -- happens to PSers a fair bit -- when advertisers use private photos without permission. I picture somebody seeing one, thinking, "Oh, that's a good pic." Click Save, and never bother that it belongs to the poster, not their company. It's crummy.

 

[momhappy]

I can understand why you'd be annoyed. Unfortunately, anything that we post is fair game in the cyber world. I had someone steal photos off my FB page and post them on a fashion blog (in a good way, but it was still strange & annoying). I now have my FB locked down (which I know is no guarantee) and I don't have any pictures of me or my family accessible even my FB profile pic and cover photos are just generic pictures).

 

[Niel]

They did something similar with mine as well. Pinned it to their pinterest. Has lots of likes.

Notice at the bottom of your thread how we can pin anyone's photos right to pinterest? They must have done that. They said it was plat though, so I made them correct that error. Don't try and upsel your metal with my photo! Lol

But I put my photo on the internet and I have no problems with it, personally, as long as its not used fraudulently

Sorry it bothers you :

Eta: oh look they put mine in there too. 1200 likes and a few people didn't like it. Good to know.

 

[Lady_Disdain]

It is easy to forget that PS isn't just the tight community of posters we know.

If the image had just been shared on Facebook or Pinterest, I wouldn't mind, specially since the buttons to do so are right here on PS. Adding a marketing link takes it to commercial use and I would mind. Adding a quote that was not mine (or mine but used without permission) and a wrong description is a big deal to me.

 

[movie zombie]

ok, everything we post here is open to being lifted and reused.
I get that.
however, and this is a big HOWEVER, writing words and attributing it to the [unnamed] owner of the lifted ring, well, that just seem beyond crude.

 

[minousbijoux]

ok, everything we post here is open to being lifted and reused.
I get that.
however, and this is a big HOWEVER, writing words and attributing it to the [unnamed] owner of the lifted ring, well, that just seem beyond crude.

This.

 

[makemepretty]

To me, that's false advertising. That's your ring but not your words. That's lying plain and simple. It makes me think less of such a prestigious company.

 

[MMtwo]

Jewelfreak, thanks. Yes, I am sure they don't realize the part about it being copyrighted material. I see the sidebar posts showing MANY threads about stolen pictures. Sad this is so prevalent.

momhappy - Hey, at least you know you were rocking it! still, there is a major creep factor when you see your pictures popping up like a whack-a-mole Glad you're buttoned down and safer on Facebook now.

Niel, I must be a dunce. I dont see a post to Pinterest button. Where is it? I keep looking, it must be right infront of me...
I see one on Facebook. This picture was only posted on Pricescope, never on Facebook, never on Pinterest (by me). They said it was plat though, so I made them correct that error Good! holy smokes. Eta: oh look they put mine in there too. 1200 likes and a few people didn't like it. Good to know. See, that is just so not right. They sent a facebook message that said (paraphrased) so sorry we used your picture without permission, it is not our policy to use pictures without permission. Which one is yours? They posted this (my) sample with a CZ cushion...it doesn't even look like a nice diamond to me.

Lady_Disdain - It is easy to forget that PS isn't just the tight community of posters we know.RIGHT, I am guilty of that!If the image had just been shared on Facebook or Pinterest, I wouldn't mind, specially since the buttons to do so are right here on PS. Adding a marketing link takes it to commercial use and I would mind. Adding a quote that was not mine (or mine but used without permission) and a wrong description is a big deal to me. The quote that was not mine really bothered me too.

I even figure it's a kid who doesn't know better...even so, this was poorly handled. Even posting on Pricescope does not make our pictures public domain. I would not think twice if someone used it for personal use, or a vendor ASKED to use it. But a multi-million dollar company using it with someone else's quote for gain...no good. Part of me felt sort of bad for being annoyed, but part of me wanted to make right something that was not right. Now I've had my say, I feel better.

moviezombie, minousbijoux, makemepretty Thanks, I do appreciate your input.

You notice I did not use their name in the thread link. Even now I want to be heard but not drag them through the mud. Heck, they are even setting our ring now! We chose to use them anyhow. I trust they will do a nice job.

 

[Niel]

Its at the bottom of every post. You have the option to share it on pinterest, Facebook, google something and other social things
They have used a lot of my photos,I believe all taken from Pricescope, though I have sense posted them myself on pinterest.

I dunno, I've had James Allen use my photos before, or attempt to, but they always ask if that's OK, ritani just took them. They never quoted me though, I agree that would probably bother me too.

Mine is the white gold plain shank pear halo, they call it a teardrop (because why? Who knows!) But they didn't even use a great photo lol.

 

[MMtwo]

Thanks...Okay having a Gaslight moment. ZOMG...Ummmm, that was not showing when I went to lunch. Each post was bare at the bottom except for the up arrow. It is obviously showing now. Swear to G_d, all posts had nothing in the corner. If I had seen that, I would have assumed it WOULD be online.

Niel, I KNOW your ring . I like it very much, too! Well, hopefully with this thread Ritani will reflect upon their now public behavior.

 

[ruby59]

I would suggest you watermark your photos. Makes them a little more difficult to steal.

 

[MMtwo]

Aha! I'm not losing my mind. Niel, thanks....It's just a difference on the browsers somehow.
Those bottom facebook/Pinterest/share icons do not show up at work, but they did when I dropped in at home for lunch:

 

[Niel]

Weird! I have no idea how to show them either.

My account does weird things too though. Like,I can't see anybody's bottom quote line unless I'm logged out. So other things too

 

[Karl_K]

ok, everything we post here is open to being lifted and reused.
I get that.
however, and this is a big HOWEVER, writing words and attributing it to the [unnamed] owner of the lifted ring, well, that just seem beyond crude.

No it is not, the owner of the photo owns the copyright to the photo.
You grant a license to PS to use it and that can cover a pininterest link from here, or in an add for PS.
An advertiser lifting the photo and posting it to facebook is illegal and the owner of the photo can go after them for triple damages and the damages would likely be based on using a similar picture from getty or one can go after them for statutory damages which is up to $150,000.00 in some cases.
Real world going after damages isn't usually worthwhile which why it continues to happen.

 

[Gypsy]

s is a big HOWEVER, writing words and attributing it to the [unnamed] owner of the lifted ring, well, that just seem beyond crude.

THIS.
And also, Karl is right.

 

[momhappy]

Jewelfreak, thanks. Yes, I am sure they don't realize the part about it being copyrighted material. I see the sidebar posts showing MANY threads about stolen pictures. Sad this is so prevalent.

momhappy - Hey, at least you know you were rocking it! still, there is a major creep factor when you see your pictures popping up like a whack-a-mole Glad you're buttoned down and safer on Facebook now.

Niel, I must be a dunce. I dont see a post to Pinterest button. Where is it? I keep looking, it must be right infront of me...
I see one on Facebook. This picture was only posted on Pricescope, never on Facebook, never on Pinterest (by me). They said it was plat though, so I made them correct that error Good! holy smokes. Eta: oh look they put mine in there too. 1200 likes and a few people didn't like it. Good to know. See, that is just so not right. They sent a facebook message that said (paraphrased) so sorry we used your picture without permission, it is not our policy to use pictures without permission. Which one is yours? They posted this (my) sample with a CZ cushion...it doesn't even look like a nice diamond to me.

Lady_Disdain - It is easy to forget that PS isn't just the tight community of posters we know.RIGHT, I am guilty of that!If the image had just been shared on Facebook or Pinterest, I wouldn't mind, specially since the buttons to do so are right here on PS. Adding a marketing link takes it to commercial use and I would mind. Adding a quote that was not mine (or mine but used without permission) and a wrong description is a big deal to me. The quote that was not mine really bothered me too.

I even figure it's a kid who doesn't know better...even so, this was poorly handled. Even posting on Pricescope does not make our pictures public domain. I would not think twice if someone used it for personal use, or a vendor ASKED to use it. But a multi-million dollar company using it with someone else's quote for gain...no good. Part of me felt sort of bad for being annoyed, but part of me wanted to make right something that was not right. Now I've had my say, I feel better.

moviezombie, minousbijoux, makemepretty Thanks, I do appreciate your input.

You notice I did not use their name in the thread link. Even now I want to be heard but not drag them through the mud. Heck, they are even setting our ring now! We chose to use them anyhow. I trust they will do a nice job.

That's it exactly - it's a major creep factor. Not sure why, but it just is.