Copyright trouble

[SmartWombat]

I suppose it's a good thing

I had a phone call from the costco lab where I sent my pictures using their web kiosk.
They said they were professional photos.
They wanted me to take in my camera because they want proof I took the photos !
This seems to be a copyright issue, trying to protect the images.
So I shouldn't be too mad I suppose.

But there's no way I'm lugging my gear in there.
Though I will take in the G9 to get a photo of the officious jobsworth who didn't believe they were my photos. :mad2:

I will also let him know that I expect a professional print job on my photos.
If they are not up to scratch, he's reprinting them

[craftgirl]

Ha ha ha, That is great! a blessing and a curse. Sams club did that to me too, and I appreciated it, but they only made me sign a paper to keep on file, since its a membership deal.

How would your camera prove they were yours anyhow? unless your memory card is still in it with the photos still on it.....I wouldnt bring my gear in to them either.....

[brmill26]

Haha, that's funny SW. Presuming you've put your name into your EXIF data, couldn't they just check the file EXIF to see it matches up with your billing information?

I will also let him know that I expect a professional print job on my photos.
If they are not up to scratch, he's reprinting them

After driving down to see them, they'd better do a darn good job!

[SmartWombat]

How would your camera prove they were yours anyhow?

I have no idea, since on export from Lightroom for printing the EXIF information is stripped*.
I think they want to see I have equipment capable of taking those photos...
They obviously haven't noticed that the photographer makes the picture not the camera.
Oh an expensive camera makes it easier, but it's not necessary.

* There's a bug where exporting without EXIF is more reliable (less memory leak) than with embedded EXIF, though both exports seem to crash after a number of images related to image size.

[SmartWombat]

couldn't they just check the file EXIF to see it matches up with your billing information?

I would if the print output from Lightroom wasn't stripped of EXIF to work around a feature.

After driving down to see them, they'd better do a darn good job

The regular staff there, I know well.
It's the reason I use their lab, because they care about the work.
Their prints are always first class.

Last time they had someone new on, I rejected the lot.
Twice.
Until they cleaned the machine, aligned the paper properly, and took off the automatic adjustments and trusted my output. I use the printer profile supplied by the lab for their machine

[polarbeardiggers]

I have never heardof this before, i'm almost shocked,you are paying for a service to copy your images and print them out on paper,they have no business even looking at your prints or commenting on them,you pick the size of paper and the quality of paper and the quantity, and by accepting the download agreeing to their price, any question about your images beyond that is a invasion of your privacy, am i not right about that, having a online set up for anyone to have pictures made to print, since when can they screen your pictures for copyright infringements, the idea of this kind of request for you to provide proof you took the images, is beyond belief, i could understand had they asked you on the pickup or made a comment at payment you are very good at what you do,can be flattering, but this third degree seperate communication does not sound right to me, they are providing a service it ends there,they are not to police wether or not you took them or a professional took them, I believe the only thing they have control is to report pornagraphic material to local police officials,thats it. in my opinion this is a outrage and you should be contacting head office of costco and demand answers wether or not they have jurisdiction over this kind of matter, and demanding a boycott on their service.

[Frog]

Not being a pro, it makes no sense to me. Bringing in your gear doesn't mean the pics are from your gear as far as I know. I'd tell them they are professional photos because you are a professional and that you expect professional printing of them.
Do professional's have some sort of special print arrangements with whatever service they use?

[SmartWombat]

I'm rather glad they do think of checking for copyright.
I wish they hadn't phoned up at 8pm though.
Not that their check is any good of course.

Maybe it was the size of the files, I sent 50MB of files for printing.
Maybe it was the printed quality, 8x12 and sharp

Their Ts & Cs say:
"5. No Obligation to Monitor Content. Costco does not control the content of your images and has no obligation to monitor such content for any purpose. You are solely responsible for all content and material you provide for the Service."

So I guess they are covering their backsides in case anything inappropriate sneaks through by saying it's not an obligation, they just do it sometimes. So if your copyright is infringed by someone using their service, they have an out.


"6. Your Responsibility. You must have the legal right to copy each image that you order"
"You agree NOT to use the Service:
3. to upload any material that you do not have a right to transmit under any contractual or fiduciary relationship or which infringes any copyright, trade mark, patent or other intellectual property right or any moral right of any party including but not limited to Costco;"

Now since they say it is my responsibility you could say that their checking is not necessary.


"7. Refusal to Provide Service; Deletion. Costco may at any time without notice:"
"2. refuse to fulfil any order and delete any images you have sent to the Service if, in Costco’ sole discretion, you fail to comply with any of these Terms or if a competent regulatory authority requires Costco to do so;"

But if they feel that your images violate copyright, they can refuse to give you the prints.
I presume to cover their backsides if it turns out they are copied off my website by someone.


On the whole I see it as them trying to protect themselves rather than protect the photographer. But it's not a bad thing.

Unless they disturb me at night on a weekend. :cryin:

[SmartWombat]

couldn't they just check the file EXIF to see it matches up with your billing information?

But anyone could edit the EXIF to put their own name in the image...
Well anyone other than the average P&S users who doesn't even know EXIF exists !

[Ballen Photo]

I suppose it's a good thing

I had a phone call from the costco lab where I sent my pictures using their web kiosk.
They said they were professional photos.
They wanted me to take in my camera because they want proof I took the photos !
This seems to be a copyright issue, trying to protect the images.

Sounds like they were impressed with your photos, and just paid you a left handed compliment.
-Bruce

[SmartWombat]

Yeah.
Shame they insist on a VAT registration and business utility bills to be a trade member.
I don't need to register for Value Added Tax if I do under £64000 of turnover.
I do not want to be a government tax collector if I don't have to.

[freygr]

£64000 is a lot of money! I would be happy making that kind of money ;) That is close to $120,000 USA.

But what a pain is the a#% there are being.

[brmill26]

But anyone could edit the EXIF to put their own name in the image...
Well anyone other than the average P&S users who doesn't even know EXIF exists !

True enough, but not everyone has PS (like me), and I would suspect the vast majority of people pirating photos to print would not think to do such a thing, if they even knew about it. Then again, so many editors, like Irfanview and apparently your PS problem, strip EXIF completely that it would be far from fail-proof. It would just be an easy way to make an initial check that would have a high probability of being accurate.

Maybe I missed a detail, but if the people there know you... why are they asking if they're your images? And I don't know how their system works, but most web places I use have an account you upload your files to. Unless you delete them after each printing, they should be able to see what your past images have been.