Worries about posting images

[MattKing]

Discussions of value are interesting in the context of this thread.
There is a difference between value and the price that the market will pay. There may be some overlap between those two.
My uploaded photographs have some value to me, and in some cases seem to have value to others, whether or not I am seeking to turn that value into money in the bank.
The world of digital images and presentation on the internet has broken a lot of the historical connection between photography and the ability to make money with photography.

 

[Saganich]

Funny story. My wife works with dance choreographers, dance companies, etc., shooting mostly on stage performance. She generally gives clients high resolution files. One client used the high res images on her website and one image that was particularly iconic and was swiped. We found out when someone recognized the image and informed her it was being sold on etsy. She had a lawyer friend of ours send a letter and it was promptly removed. Now for the funny part. While it was being sold illegally an Italian marketing team saw it and added it to a presentation for branding a luxury hotel in Florence owned by Gucci heirs. The hotel choose her image for their branding, but since it was found on the etsy sight, which no longer existed, they didn't know whose image it was. They spent about 6 months searching the internet trying to figure it out. When they finally did they purchased the rights for a nice sum and offered us a free week in Florence at the hotel, which was very very nice. Sure enough a stylized version of the image was embroidered on every robe, towel, soap cake, etc., in the place. I guess in this case thievery led to a nice profit and trip to Italy.