Have you ever surfed the net and stopped on an incredible photo on a website and thought to yourself, “Wow, would Aunt Nettie ever like that one!” I am sure we all have a time or two. Who does not enjoy making a loved one smile or feel a particular feeling on a beautiful warm day? Maybe they are feeling blue and you just want to cheer them up, maybe make them even laugh out loud?

Have you ever surfed the net and stopped on an incredible photo on a website and thought to yourself, “Wow, would Aunt Nettie ever like that one!” I am sure we all have a time or two. Who does not enjoy making a loved one smile or feel a particular feeling on a beautiful warm day? Maybe they are feeling blue and you just want to cheer them up, maybe make them even laugh out loud?

 

Even though you have good intentions that might benefit another human being, before you decide to add that photo to your e-mail, look to see if there are any infringement statements or watermarks that warn against duplicating that photo. If there are, then even copying it to send to a friend in need is illegal and can come with harsh consequences. Maybe your mind has just begun to think of all of your own precious photos online that people are looking at. Maybe they are downloading your photos and sending them around the internet. You may wish to check out WinWatermark software to see the ideas they have for protecting your photos. It is cheap, easy and fast.

 

Understand also that not all watermarks are visible to the naked eye. It is always best to get the permission from the company or owner of the photo before you download it. Some graphics designers choose to block their photos from being downloaded altogether. Though they cannot stop a would-be thief from taking a picture of the screen, they can stop any viewer from clicking on the photo and copying it to their own project.

 

A statement in the form of a watermark over the top of the picture may clearly indicate that the owner of the photo would take it as a personal offense if you copied it. Words like, “Do not copy” or “Copying is Illegal” or “Copy by Permission Only” make it pretty clear that this company does not wish you to download or copy this photo. Words like “Copy right by…” or the icon of the company over the top of the picture do not tell you necessarily that you may not copy it. It does imply, however, that you are not the owner of the photo and if you decided to use this photo in any personal fashion, you may be at legal risk. It is always best to get permission first.

 

If the photo you downloaded and sent to Aunt Nettie began to circulate around the internet and fame or fortune were to be its outcome and it was traced back to your computer, you could find yourself in a lawsuit for cyber theft.  While your intentions were decent and noble at the start, your actions may speak otherwise of your character. Get permission to use that photo first.

 

Contact WinWatermark today to get the scoop on watermarks and what they can do for you.