Illegal user of copyright material… and how to contact?

copyright infringment

[sceptre2003]

I discovered a website that is using several photos of mine that I am the original copyright holder of. I gave NO ONE permission or authorization to use my photos for any reasons. The administration contact for the website is listed as private on all the domain tools I've used. The website has no email or contact us information so I have no way of directly requesting my material be removed. What does one do in this situation?

Thanks for any help you may have

[Syzygy]

If you can't make contact with the site owners, then the next best thing to do is to investigate whether it is worth sending a DMCA Notice to search engines. This could result in the removal of the content from search engines.

You will have to go through the process with search engines individually. Here's information from Google on their process: [google.com...]

Good luck.

[sceptre2003]

Thanks and I've been doing this as you describe, but this obviously isn't getting my photos "down". I figure my next step will be attorney with internet/DMCA litigation and prosecution experience.

[Syzygy]

And you've already made contact with the hosting company?

[reprint]

If they are using AdSense, then file a DMCA with Google. This has been the most effective way to get photos taken down for me.

[zeus]

even if there is a privacy listings in whois, there is a email which will be redirected to the owner, when we get a note that a image is on our site and the owner dont want that, we remove the image same day, this can happen when you have a lot of users, but I also suggest the owner to make a brand on the image, then he has free advertising.

[sceptre2003]

Syzygy: No I've not contact the hosting company as I figure that would get me no where... I might be wrong?

zeus: 1) When I look up the WHOIS All I see as an email is "support@" and the domain of the name registration service. As For the hosting company, I see there web site url but no email. 2) Could you elaborate on your comments: "but I also suggest the owner to make a brand on the image, then he has free advertising."

Thanks for your help.

[zeus]

I mean when a Photo owner contacts me I also suggest them to put there name/company on the image, that would be a little Promotion for there company/art/photos, but first I say we will remove it now at once.

the Whois thing, if there really is no email, email the Hosting company and ask them for the email to that site, also try sent some emails to admin@thedomain..com , sales@, webmaster@ and a few other some will maybe get there.

[sceptre2003]

zeus: Got it, that's what I thought you were meaning.

So are you a "hosting site" or a "website"? Just wanting to understand the perspective of your “actions” once you are notified of the copyright photo etc.

Thanks again!

[zeus]

ohh got few websites

[Syzygy]

No I've not contact the hosting company as I figure that would get me no where... I might be wrong?

With the weight of the law on your side you should find the hosting company to be quite obliging.

[sceptre2003]

OK, thanks! I'll do a little more "official" homework" and will take the next step, and report back. You have all been very helpful! Thanks

[graeme_p]

No I've not contact the hosting company as I figure that would get me no where... I might be wrong?

Yes, I sent a DMCA notice to a US based host the day before yesterday, and they site had been taken down by yesterday morning.

Outside the US, no DMCA but a letter to the host will still probably as the law is on your side (if they are hosted somewhere like Russia its harder).