Listed below is a series of options for "protecting" photos on websites
from unauthorized use.  These choices range from the simple (and perhaps
less effective) to the detailed (and perhaps more effective, legally).
These choices range from notification of viewers to alteration of the
photo itself.

1. Notification:     Post once on the website, or for each photo, that
the photo is copyrighted and that use of the photo requires prior
permission.  Post contact information so that the person desiring to use
the photo may conveniently contact the owner of the photo.


2. Using "low resolution" photos on a website (72 dpi, as Peggy
suggests) is highly desirable simply to minimize the load times;  also
"resize" web photos to the desirable pixel height and width which will
be viewed (i.e., loading and displaying a 3000 pixel wide photo onto 400
pixels of width on the monitor's screen is counterproductive).   Such
"low res" and "resized" photos are likely only desirable for use on
other websites. Printing any enlargement of such an image would be
undesirable and pixellated.   Posting high resolution photos on websites
causes slow load times for the page/photo and also allows viewers to
download and duplicate a quality image.


3. Superimpose a "logo" or other image, over a photo, to visually
indicate the source or ownership of the photos.  Examine almost any
seller's photo placed on  www.eBay.com       ...eBay overlays a small
diagrammatic image of a camera in the lower right corner of every
photo.  Note that this can be easily cropped out of a captured photo,
using any photo editing software, thereby circumventing this
"protection" method.

Taking this to the extreme is to overlay the entire photo with a
"watermark" image.  This process may better protect the image from
reuse, but more likely will simply discourage its use by others because
such a watermark effectively destroys the visual desirability of the photo.
       http://graphicssoft.about.com/cs/photoshop/ht/apswatermark.htm


4.  "Embedded Digital Watermarking" is embedded code within the photo
and cannot be seen by the viewer!   This embedded code is a digital
signature placed within the photo, which is imperceptible to the human
eye.  This digital code is not embedded once, but rather multiple
times!  Many times!!!  This process means that one could crop such a
protected image and the Embedded Digital Watermark would still be
present!   In fact, you'd have to crop, and re-crop many times...  down
to an extremely small portion of the original...   to effectively lose
such an embedded digital watermark.

Additionally, such an "embedded digital watermark" can be registered
with companies ( see:   http://www.digimarc.com/ ) that will
periodically search the entire Internet for photos with your watermark
and inform you where they are!   You can take it from there, deciding
whether to simply notify the theives or to prosecute them.

Caution:  always modify a copy of your photos, keeping the originals
unaltered and set aside in a safe place!  There is a multitude of
software available to implement the above options, either for individual
photos or multiple photos handled in batch mode.  Implementing any one
of these options listed above will help somewhat.  Implementing multiple
options is obviously better.  Implementing all of them may be the best
course of action, but perhaps overkill...     but, it's your choice, and
they are your photos!

That's my "2 cents worth"...    or maybe "3 cents worth"
Hope that helps,
Paul Mikkelsen
Fort Pierce, Florida

----------------------------------------------------------------------
[log in to unmask] - a forum for informal discussions on molluscs
To leave this list, click on the following web link:
http://listserv.uga.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=conch-l&A=1
Type your email address and name in the appropriate box and
click leave the list.
----------------------------------------------------------------------