I'm just curious whether Perspective Models will buy your explainations, since I've got a similar one from Perspective Models when I sent an email to Perspective Models.
Please, neither do I wish to start war. As much as you wish photographers to stand in your shoes to look at things, I hope you can also understand where we are coming from as well.
It must be a headache receiving tonnes of emails complaining about copyright infringements from various photographers and you get frustrated over it when you see your inbox full of complains at first sight. But please also look at things from our perspective as well - not every photographers are so "free and easy" with their IP - you're unlucky to happen to use my images and I happen to be one "hard to deal with person". The sight of having their images used without consent and what's worst is to have another watermark over the images.
I've told Perspective Models before, a third party who views the images will be easily fooled by the watermark, causing the viewers to assume (or indirectly implied) that the copyright belongs to the "agency/management", which result in unhappiness from the rightful copyright owners. For that, I believe Perspective Models can now understand how I felt now.
But seriously, I hope you can learn something from this experience.
#1
I am not digging only the copyright issue, but more of the responsiblity. I do have issues with other users who used my images without permission. When contacted with some of them, they acknowledged that they did not double check before using without giving a page of text of explainations/excuses/reasons of not knowing and case closed.
Anyway, the following is a good thread to read for you
Models giving photos w/o photographers premission
#2
Similar to my above point, claiming not knowing that the images are Copyrighted are definitely not accepted as an explaination because there are watermarks on the images. The watermarks themselves are reminders to viewers that the images are Copyrighted. Images without watermarks do not mean that the Copyright is being waived either. This is therefore, the reason why I do not buy your explaination or claim of not knowing, in fact, you are shooting yourself on the feet for that. You could have double check with the rightful copyright owner to save yourself from trouble.
#3
Ever wonder what other reputatable modeling agencies do? They HIRE/COMMISSIONED photographers to do portfolio and compcards for their models and not simply use the images the models provide to post on their website. There are good examples here in ClubSNAP itself, just have a look at the <Photoshoots> section of this forum - there are organisers whom are truly professional do the compcards themselves and not simply use any images. For some, they ensure that they get permissions from the rightful copyright owners before posting. And for a handful, simply use without knowing who's the photographers. Finally, a few posts poor quality and low resolution images.
You claimed to be a professional, then show me your professionalism.
#4
Talking about professionalism, seriously, I have emailed multiple infringers before. Your replies are the most unfriendly. I tried to tone down my email very much (relative to my previous "attacks") already. Even Perspective Models did not respond so violently despite my more "aggressive attacks".
As much as you are very "turned off" by the complain emails from me, your words are not very friendly either.
#5
Supporting #3, it is the same for those recording companies. The artists cannot sing or perform their old songs when they changed their recording companies unless their new recording company bought over the copyrights from the previous one. Similarly, a compcard/portfolio is still the IP of the studio/agencies and third parties can't use them. An example I can find is the HOTSTUFF magazine scans - which are copyrighted to HOTSTUFF, and not to the models. (I've tried to enquiry with them, but they didn't really get back to me on their Copyright policies, but I believed that they at most grant the models the licence to use the images for their person uses and not for third parties commercial uses). And since you do not own the copyright of any images, you do not have the right to put your watermarks over you images.
