[NZ_Ross]

Meanwhile here is that forest shot from today - 6 image stitch. The Revuenon 55mm stopped down a little (f2.8?).

Nice, thanks for sharing

[Transit]

I think that was a good price Pete - congratulations.
Meanwhile here is that forest shot from today - 6 image stitch. The Revuenon 55mm stopped down a little (f2.8?).

Cheers!
Great light coming out of that Gub

[pixelsaurus]

I just had a copyright win, not for money, but for the principle.

Corelogic, a big multi-national firm I believe, run a website called propertyvalue.co.nz, similar to homes.co.nz, giving computer generated house values. I saw my house on there, complete with the photos I took inside and out when we rented it out. These had obviously been taken from trademe as it was the only public place they had been put.

So I emailed Corelogic and told them to remove them: “you have ten photos that are, of course, subject to copyright. I took those photos, I own the copyright. It's funny how you have a big "Disclaimers" webpage on which the very first paragraph is titled "Copyright notice", and yet you are happy to steal others' photos from others' websites and use them on your site.

Please remove all of my photos from your site. I would suggest that you may have lots of other photos that you do not have the right to show on there as well.”

They replied: “We understand for privacy reasons you are requesting that images of property …. be removed from CoreLogic platforms.” And carried on for ages on a totally unrelated note.

I replied: “Dear CoreLogic,

Ironic name for your company as obviously logic is not your strong point or anywhere near your core.” Then I went on about how it wasn’t about privacy, it was about copyright, and referred them to a couple of websites (Copyright protection in New Zealand | Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment and https://www.clendons.co.nz/resources/background-papers/photography-law-new-z...g-photography/) they could look at.

They replied: “It may be helpful for me to explain that CoreLogic is primarily a real estate data company that maintains a property history database, as such our products display information from our historical database which is used to so how properties have changed over time. Our images reflect an approximate capture date on each particular image.

CoreLogic has agreements with various listing portals and agencies to receive property information, such as images (to which we now hold an intellectual property license).
As an example when you or a real estate agent uploads photographs to listing portals such as Trade Me, you or the real estate agent grants to the listing portal a licence to the photographs that are uploaded and become public information.
That licence permits the listing portal to transfer the licence and to use or distribute those photographs and data to third parties, including CoreLogic.
For example, please refer to clause 3.4 of Trade Me’s Terms and Conditions placed at https://help.trademe.co.nz/hc/en-us/articles/360007001532.

Our Actions

For the reasons provided above your request to remove the images for the property has not been carried out.

We trust this resolves your query.”

So I emailed Trademe and they confirmed they have no agreement with Corelogic for them to use photos from their site.

So I emailed Corelogic back, saying: “Once again, you are wrong. I have contacted Trade Me and they have no agreement with you to allow you to take photos from their site. Just because a photo is uploaded to their site, or to any other website, does not make it "public information", and certainly does not make it legal for your company to steal the photos and reproduce them on your site. The copyright on those photos belongs to me, you really need to review the Copyright Act 1994.

Thanks for pointing out clause 3.4 of Trade Me's terms, it says "You retain ownership of your content and nothing in these Terms is intended to claim ownership of your content or to restrict your ability to use your own content." You'll note they say that I retain ownership. Even at the bottom of that clause it states, "Our licence doesn’t affect your own rights to your content." It can't be clearer than that.

I would strongly suggest that you contact your lawyers and check on this.

Again I insist that you remove the photos that belong to me from your website.”

20 days later I just got this: “A request for our Data Team on the 23/11/21 to suppress all images of the property.

Once processed, this change will reflect within 48 hours.

Please note, should the property be listed on a platform that CoreLogic have the necessary licensing requirements, we will once again capture the images that form a part of the listing.

We trust this resolves your request and we will now be closing it off.”

Ha! They still have thousands of other people’s images on their site though.

The real bugger was that I have a lawyer nephew who knows about copyright. I suggested he write a letter for me, but he said their firm is retained by Corelogic so he couldn't!

CoreLogic featured on FairGo tonite. Same issue, different complainant. Seems they are now contrite and will take steps in future to remove copyrighted images from their property listings.

[NZ_Ross]

CoreLogic featured on FairGo tonite. Same issue, different complainant. Seems they are now contrite and will take steps in future to remove copyrighted images from their property listings.

That is good news, thanks for the update.

[pixelsaurus]

That is good news, thanks for the update.

My wife is always checking online on the value of our property. All the pics online are the ones put up before we purchased this place. However we have done extensive reservations so the images are useless. Oh well.

[Transit]

CoreLogic featured on FairGo tonite. Same issue, different complainant. Seems they are now contrite and will take steps in future to remove copyrighted images from their property listings.

saw that good work !

[Class A]

CoreLogic featured on FairGo tonite.

I saw it as well. Too bad that a number of companies only discover what is right after the media gets involved.

[Arpe]

CoreLogic featured on FairGo tonite. Same issue, different complainant. Seems they are now contrite and will take steps in future to remove copyrighted images from their property listings.

Except they still have one of mine on there, an outside shot. I'll be emailing them again

[NZ_Ross]

Except they still have one of mine on there, an outside shot. I'll be emailing them again

Having read here about their business tactics, I have made a mental note not to use their services. Not good enough.

[Kiwizinho]

CoreLogic featured on FairGo tonite. Same issue, different complainant. Seems they are now contrite and will take steps in future to remove copyrighted images from their property listings.

I don't normally watch TVNZ, but found it on demand. Slightly different scenario, but same issue with them stealing someone else's copyrighted content.

If it were you or me downloading some Hollywood blockbuster or some pop star's hits, and got caught, I think there's a '3 strikes' system, then you can have your internet cut off.

These guys are big enough to almost certainly have legal advice on intellectual property, and they no doubt exercise their own IP rights, so no excuses.

They're lucky Kiwis aren't as litigious as Americans, otherwise they could face a class action lawsuit as it appears they've done this on multiple occasions.

[NZ_Ross]

They're lucky Kiwis aren't as litigious as Americans, otherwise they could face a class action lawsuit as it appears they've done this on multiple occasions.

There certainly seems to be a pattern of behaviour.

[bobD]

Hypothetically speaking...

"It’s (way cheaper &) Easier To Ask Forgiveness Than To Get Permission"

Which is why some bad eggs do it...over and over and over again. (Standard business practice 101...don't be surprised or alarmed.)

And then they just might get some free brand awareness where they can say 'hey..we did wrong but we're really great people and pledge to do better !" (Standard business practice 101.)

[NZ_Ross]

"It’s (way cheaper &) Easier To Ask Forgiveness Than To Get Permission"

Which is why some bad eggs do it...over and over and over again. (Standard business practice 101...don't be surprised or alarmed.)

Maybe business practice, but not particularly ethical business practice.

[bobD]

Maybe business practice, but not particularly ethical business practice.

Which is why some companies shine ethically and deserve our patronage (yours noted here.. ) whilst others simply follow the rote model.

I think too the bigger an organisation gets the easier it is to abdicate concerns for individuals as the "Corporate Lawyers" are deemed to have that in their oversight.
But they are just part of the machine and so abdicate their responsibility to the Corporation, take their paychecks, and duck cover to home and family.

[Kiwizinho]

And now for something completely different...
I cycled to the supermarket this morning to get bread for toast and sandwiches, and fruit for my daughter's lunch. First time I've ever seen avocados sold by the kilo, and even more bizarre, they were the cheapest fruit in the supermarket.
So now, instead of being a symbol of Millennial decadence, it seems like they've become the cheapest way to make sure your family gets fruit in their diet.
Tangelos, mandarins, were more expensive per kilo. I can't imagine them smashed on toast.

I wouldn't want to be an avocado grower, but my wife is pleased. She can enjoy avocado smoothies without breaking the bank. Back where she comes from, avocado varieties include ones the size of a volleyball, at dirt cheap prices.

Maybe I should put a bunch of them in a fruit bowl and practice still life photography with them.