SANParks.org Forums

my pleasure, i post a lot of photos online so i do a check on that site every so often.

Melanie and Nedret…thanks again for all your assistance.
Yesterday, after I saw the photos were removed from the Krugerparks.com site, I checked the Accommodation Direct websites and my photos were still on there. I then used the contact email on that site and asked them to remove my 12 photos. I promptly got a reply back that said the photos were removed, and when I checked, it was indeed taken off.

DQ was right, both these sites are run by the same person.

I again emailed the responsible person to thank him, and to also point out to him that some of the other photos he was using belongs to other people…I specifically referred to the photo of Dreamer’s family in Grootkolk…he then removed that photo….but I think the others on the Grootkolk page (of the cheetah) also belongs to Dreamer…I’m sending her a PM to refer her to this thread and the page on the website.

I think the other ‘mites should also just go through the pages on the following sites to check if there is some of their photos

http://www.northerncape-direct.com/
http://www.krugerpark-direct.com/

One of mine of Hlanganini but, now that is a private affair. Big lens coming up.

Jumbo, very well done.

Well done to all taking a positive step against copyright theft.

I am now, more than ever, glad that I have not taken the time to post my photos on the forums (facebook is enough).

If people want to learn more about protecting their rights have a look on wikipedia and search for the following topics;

Exif, or, Exchangeable image file format - This is the most common method of protecting your files. The pge also has links to some free software for changing the metadata (the stuff you don't see) on your photographs.

... and ...

Copyright - This will give you a better understanding of your rights.

... and ...

Photo sharing - This will outline the risks of placing your photos online.

Generally I don't tend to put my best photos online, because of this risk, unless I feel that I do not mind somebody else perversely using it.

SANParks should charge the owners of these websites or press charges, because no photos taken in the Kruger (and other National Parks) can be used for commercial purposes without the proper permits and cash changing hands.

This is most likely why the owners of these sites are using other people's photos, because they would have to pay big time if they used their own. Using other people's photos gives them the right to say in a court that the onus is on the photographer to have the proper permits and would allow them to get away scot free.

This being bore in mind using others photos from this forum and other places also gives them the "false sense of security" that should they be approached by SANParks asking for the appropriate permits they can defer to the photographer they obtained them from, who in all likely hood, "has disappeared off the face of the Earth".

Should they be approached by the photographer, they feel the "false sense of security" that the photographer will not go to the lengths of pressing charges for theft or paying the upfront legal fees required to sue.

I say "false sense of security" because they could be sued and should be or have criminal charges pressed against them, unfortunately unscrupulous people like this realise that, with the over burdened legal system and general attitude of people regarding going out of their way to protect their rights, they can get away with it.

My thanks to Melanie, Nedret and my support to madach and those who take it further. Scipio, go for it, you really could get that Big Lens.

Until they actually have to pay for what they have done then we have not really taken a positive step against copyright theft. For now we are only making their lives a little more difficult. Still a good thing I suppose.

I have reported the violation of copyright by www.krugerpark.com to SATSA and TBCSA. Let's see if they have anything to say about it.

I have done the same thing.

Accommodation Direct (the main company that hosts all these domains with copied images) is a registered Tour Operator that earns commission from us for bringing bookings for SANParks. They do not have permission to copy materials from the SANParks website, which makes this a case of copyright infringement and breach of legal contract with us.

Despite my official notice to them 2 days, Accommodation Direct is still publishing SANParks materials on their numerous websites. Yesterday SANParks Tourism sent them one last official warning - by end of business day on Monday, 13th July, ALL SANParks materials must be removed. This includes forum images taken in a National Park (according to the Protected Areas Act, SANParks holds copyright for any photographs that are taken in national parks, except for those who have paid the fee for commercial photography.)

If by Monday evening there is even one image, or one sentence left on their website that was copied from SANParks.org, we will suspend our Travel Trade business with them. Legal reason: Breach of contract.

So I would like to extend my plea to you all who have found forum materials on any of their websites, to check again after 5 pm on Monday and mail me (nedrets@sanparks.org) with screenshots showing the duplicate materials on SANParks.org and on theirs. The resources needed to police this kind of thing are limited (we are just a couple of people here at E-Business, heavily reliant on MelanieG as the Content Editor) so we would greatly appreciate the forumites' assistance in this regard!

With SANParks taking such a strong stance against people who steal photos from this site, I believe this to be one of the few places on the net where one can feel comfortable to share your photos.

PS: On a lighter note….my SO has officially objected that we made these “thieves” take down all the photos of his back…at Kieliekrankie, Sirheni and Kalahari Tented Camp….he believes I deprived him from adding to his CV that he is a well published “All Back” model.

Eish, Jumbo, you just can't win 'em all

Good that you found out about this, Jumbo! Just saw that they are using 3 of my photos on their Punda Maria page.

Just had a look at the Sanparks Gallery and pictures were taken from there too.

We had this happen to us some time ago by a USA company, they had to remove the photos. Bad news.

Poor Mr. Jumbo!

Can anyone who recognises photos made by him/her send a mail with screenshot to phototheft@duques.nl?
I'll pass it on to SANParks as evidence for their case.

After that deadline would be great as well....

And aside from sending an invoice (R500 per photo looks like a price, depending on photo) this would be handy as well:

We are of course talking about R500 per site! And they have quite a few...