Does Google use hotlinked images in their link calculations?

Many forums are using pictures from my site

[jetteroheller]

Just discovered, many forums are using pictures pulled direct from my site.

Does this at last count in some sort of link popularity?

[sore66]

If you can see the inbound link in your statcounter or log files then Google can do likewise.

[Crush]

IMHO I think google does not count inbounds for rankings so much these days. Externals far more valuable.

[Halfdeck]

Hotlinks link to your image, not your page.

[mm1220]

IMHO I think google does not count inbounds for rankings so much these days.

Do you mean internals not inbounds?

[Crush]

oops did not read properly