Watermarked photos?

[barrett]

Hey guys, i've just noticed that the photos here are being watermarked with the fetching 'Autopuzzles' logo.
Am I the only one that doesn't like this? All of my puzzle picture are taken from other places on the web, as I dont have access to a scanner, but a lot of the stuff here is seemingly unavailable anywhere else on the internet. I often save pictures of cars I really like, especially if they might be relevent to discussions on the other fora I frequent, as I do from other sites, but if they have a huge watermark over the top I wont be able to do it anymore, it just ruins the picture. If we must have one, can it at least be a small logo on the corner, that doesn't overlap any of the details of the actual picture?
Anyway, to put a watermark on implies ownership of the image, which certainly isn't the case in 99% of the pictures on here. As far as I know, most non-members can't see the pictures anyway (I know I couldn't, before I signed up).

Anyone else have an opinion about this?

[Paul Jaray]

http://www.autopuzzles.com/forum/index.php?topic=13728.msg118612#new 

[Ray B.]

My opinion about watermarks, shortly. I rather agree with barrett. I don't like watermarks at all. The only sites who use the transparent watermarks are usually those who make their business selling posters and paper prints. And,  as D-type put it in another topic:

Copyright is a difficult issue and the law varies in different countries.  The "fair use" defence is, I think, only applicable to the USA.

I get the impression that  about 95% of the pictures posted here have been either found on the internet or scanned from books and magazines.  If this supposition is correct, then  the poster doesn't own the copyright nor does Autopuzzles.  It might even be illegal for Autopuzzles to watermark the pictures as it could be construed that Autopuzzles is illegally claiming the copyright.

Surely the answer is not for Autopuzzles to watermark pictures, but to leave it up to a copyright owner to protect their property by watermarking it if they want to.

So: 1- Autopuzzles has no right on the pictures we show. Besides, it's often quite hard to trace back the original rights owner, on the internet as well as on paper publications for some of them.
2- I understand that Ultra, and in a lesser way Paul Jaray care to have people quoting Autopuzzles, and so help expanding the site good name. So a small mention on the bottom of the picture, easy to crop if required, is definitely better if you absolutely want one.
3- Has we have absolutely no right on these pictures, I propose to make it clearer by something like "Featured in Autopuzzles.com" or "Brought to you by Autopuzzles. com", rather than the simple mention of Autopuzzles, who gives a feeling that we claim ownerwhip.

I am moving this topic to News Informations and Feedback where it should be, and where other topics deal with the same subject.

[barrett]

Ray, please feel free to delete this topic if you like, I posted this before I had read the other thread and it's all covered there. Also the issue seems to have been resolved now anyway, with the small watermark in the corner.
Thanks

[Otto Puzzell]

FWIW, and to clarify (and I'm clearly not the talented shutterbug many of you are) - the pictures of events and museums I take and then post here are copyrighted by AutoPuzzles.