Five feet

Five feet. Antique French children's wooden shoe lasts and a vintage English measuring tape (yes, it's metric, rather than feet). The lasts have serial numbers and the word "Paris" carved into their sides, along with metal soles. The two on the left are rough and hand-carved wood, from a French shoemaker's workshop.

A child's shoe last on top of 18th-century French books. In many Latin cultures, symbols of feet are considered lucky, as they represent forward movement and progress.

Copyright violations

Speaking of progress, it seems there's one step forward, two steps back when it comes to blogging and stolen photos. Late last night I found two examples of bloggers using my photos without permission, without credit and without a link to my blog - in fact, one had copied a photo and changed the original link. So I wrote polite notes asking the bloggers to provide proper photo credit.

I realise some people relatively new to blogging are still on a learning curve. But at the very least, they should be aware that it's simple good manners not to copy someone else's work and pass it off as your own. Almost all of us have our images and blog content copyrighted and licensed. There is absolutely no excuse for not giving credit where credit is due.

Vanessa Valencia wrote about such challenges recently. Both of us had to issue "take down" notices to Polyvore, to have unauthorized images removed.

Guest blogging at The Antiques Diva

If you're not familiar with Toma's delightful takes on her European shopping expeditions, I expect you'll appreciate her unique insights. She's recently moved household from Amsterdam to Berlin, so be prepared for more fun shopping tips in her new city and beyond. Today, I'm a guest blogger at The Antiques Diva, so won't you stop by and say hello? Merci bien!

Comments

[Tara Bradford]

Jean, thanks for the kind words.

[Tara Bradford]

Merci, Melanie!

[Tara Bradford]

Rosemary, thanks for the kind words about my photos. Usually these people claim ignorance about how to provide proper photo credit. Typically, I find my photos elsewhere via Technorati tracking or Google. xoxox

[Tara Bradford]

Mariamellie, thanks for the lovely compliments. You can block a user from commenting, but you can't block him or her from stealing your work, unless you put a watermark on your photos. Usually, you're able to keep track of your work via Technorati or through search engines such as Google. I suggest you apply for a Creative Commons license, which helps protect your work.

[Tara Bradford]

Asking permission is as it should be, Steph. Too many people don't bother. And you're right, many people do seem to think the internet is some sort of free-for-all, with a different set of rules. Hopefully, more and more people will begin to grasp the concept of intellectual property and rightful ownership of one's own work.

[Tara Bradford]

Merci, Christina! It seems the photo credit issues will persist until someone comes up with a foolproof way to safeguard our work.

[Mariamellie]

Dear Tara, thank you so so so much for this information on violation of copyright. I think people should really pay serious attention to this. I learnt something from you and now I am progressing to act against violation of copyright. Today I found a blog with a lot of pictures of others' works without credit, link, or whatsoever. I found him in my blog as my followers. So far what I can do to prevent him 'stealing' my pictures is by blocking him, and of course by stating the cautionary words on my blog. But, we cannot always check or trace who have come and stole our works. So what can we do more on this? If we want to report the person, where can we address our report? and where I can learn more about this?

Anyway, I do love your post here with the symbols of feet, so nice serendipity as lately I dreamt a lot about my own feet. :) and after all I am a big fan of Paris Parfait! :p Keep up a good work for all of us and be our motivation. Warm greetings from East Borneo, Indonesia!

[Jean]

I found your website from a photolink on The Lettered Cottage- at least there are responsible people out there like Layla who give credit where credit is due. As a high school teacher, it seems to me like there is a whole generation who do not understand the meaning of "plagiarism" in all of its various forms. Kudos to Layla and Kudos to you for being vigilant!

[Mélanie Aussandon]

This is very frustrating . Sandra is right , it prooves you are very talentful and poeple envy you but I know and I can understand your feelings

[stephanie]

I haven't had this happen...but maybe I don't know??? I did have a guy from Barcelona ask to use one of my images for a publication cover...gave me credit and showed me the final piece.

I'm glad you called them on it as I feel sometimes people feel too anonymous and that different rules apply here.

x..x

[Christina]

I am dealing with this, just today. : ( There is never an excuse to use someone's work, with out giving them credit or asking permission,never.

I love the picture here. : )

[Rosa]

I hope you smacked their hand quite sternly unless they know what they're doing. Then you can just hit 'em. How do you find your photos elsewhere. I wouldn't know if someone was using mine or not. I'd be interested in knowing if someone were. Your photos are so lovely, I can see why they would want to "borrow" but not steal. Tsk tsk. xoxo

[Tara Bradford]

Sandra, thanks for the encouragement and the kind words about my photos. I appreciate your comments.

[Tara Bradford]

Thanks so much, Enzie!

[Tara Bradford]

Not sure what you mean by that last sentence, but I don't want anyone taking credit for my work. Under the Creative Commons licensing agreement, anyone using another's work must provide proper credit and can use it only for non-profit purposes.

[Tara Bradford]

Thanks so much, Raquel for the kind words and the support.

[Tara Bradford]

Oh Helen, you really have been subjected to a terrible time with people copying your beautiful work! I'm so sorry to hear this. I hope you reported those people to eBay. As for those who sell patterns and things out of books at will, there's no excuse for that. I suppose eBay can't police all its sellers all the time, but that really does represent poor business practice to allow such sales.

[Tara Bradford]

Karen, thank you for the lovely compliment! I appreciate your visit and taking the time to write. As for copyright violations, alas, this seems to be a hazard of presenting one's work on the internet. Vigilance is required. :)

[Tara Bradford]

What a thoughtful friend! Please do post about your shoe lasts. And as Vanessa says, it's difficult to understand why people don't give proper credit - laziness, I guess (although that's no excuse). :)

[Tara Bradford]

Thanks so much, Judith. Just fooling around with my macro lens, still learning about its capabilities.

[Tara Bradford]

Hi Kathy - Isn't that the truth? I think the thing that appeals to me most about antique and vintage things is the history behind them and their role in people's lives.

[Tara Bradford]

You're right, dearest V - such a simple thing to give proper credit. And I'm waiting for you to come over here so we can check out the Paris gallery situation and have tea and macaroons galore! xoxox

[Sandra]

And yet more lovely photographs!......I was only thinking this morning....of how much I look forward to visiting your site to view such awe inspiring images....I then went on to thinking about how much hard work and effort you must put in day after day.No mean feat!....Very selfless really, and all to give pleasure to others....For someone to come along and take your pics without asking, well it is nothing less than theft!!! I abhor theft and I also detest laziness....it was easier to steal YOUR hard work and take the credit!!!

I have been in that situation myself....but in a completely different field of work....I felt very heavy hearted indeed....but decided to think positive and take it as a complement, because whoever has attempted to do this is obviously lacking in talent to stoop to that.....The words BAD MANNERS also come to mind....unfortunately, if they are untalented, deceitful and bad mannered then they will also be thick skinned and and try to do it to some other unfortunate person!.......Thank goodness these people are in the minority....so keep up the good work Tara and keep on pointing that camera!!!

[Enzie Shahmiri]

I love these wooden molds. Nice photos!

[tangobaby]

Ugh. You are making me have to deal with that issue. ;-)

I just found a photo of mine on another blog and I'm lazy because I don't put my name on them and I ignored it. I just don't feel like going there, but you're right... I guess I figure the size and quality of what gets stolen doesn't make for a great photo anyway.

[RD]

I love these shoe lasts! The ribbons are such a nice touch. Tara, I don't buy that new bloggers don't know better when they take someone's work and present it as their own. We all know when we're taking credit for something that doesn't belong to us. I'd be pretty upset if this happened to me, and I completely understand going after someone for that. I hope the people that have used your work grow a conscience soon.

[Helen]

Love the shoe form photos...particularly that wonderful blue paint texture in contrast to the smoothness of the shoe forms and ribbon.

I, too, have followed the Polyvore problem and real feel awful for the artists whose works were used without permission and sometimes artistically defiled.

That being said, in the world of cloth doll making I have encountered the absolute worst: copy my doll, copy my photo displays and props, copy descriptions word for word and then sell the item on eBay!

Anything is up for grabs at any given time. The worst offenders of all to me are the sellers on eBay who sell pages/patterns out of books by the particular doll maker I research. The books were written in the 30's so they feel free to do this at will...or with any other copyrighted patterns they encounter they choose to resell. The family still retains the rights to the books and don't complain so they see that as "permission."

Anything can be taken off the internet quite easily so we must trust others will ultimately choose to do the right thing. "Internet borrowing" without giving credit irks me to no end.

[Karen]

Sorry to hear of your copyright violations. Hopefully it was an oversight and will not happen again.

Your photos are beautiful. I have just recently become interested in antiques. It is like finding a whole new world. (or old one?)

I read your article today over at the Antiques Diva and had to come tell you how much I enjoyed it. I loved reading about your found treasure and look forward to reading more about your other treasures.

[dutchbaby]

I admired a pair of adult shoe lasts when I was window shopping with a friend a few years ago. The next time I saw her, she presented them to me. They are tied with a simple sisal rope, but I far prefer the satin ribbon. How ironic that I hope to copy this idea on a post regarding copyright violations. I assume you are okay with this.

I can imagine how irritated you are with these bloggers who lift images without attribution, especially since you so generously share under the Creative Commons licensing.

[judith]

Tara - loveLOVE these photos! Such beautiful lasts ... . and your styling of these shots is perfect. Jjjjj

[Kathy Mc]

What beautiful photo's. I didn't know that symbols of feet represent moving forward. It does make sense. I have been attracted to buying old shoe forms and old childrens shoes lately. If they could only talk!

[A Fanciful Twist]

Arrrrrgh!! It is all so frustrating... And you know - what I found was that most people have resigned themselves to accepting that anything is fair game online... I was so surprised...

You and I have different feelings about it though... As does lovely Louise at Art and Ghosts - she was such an advocate for everyone regarding the polyvore scandal.

If people would just credit everything would be peachy... It doesn't seem like such a difficult thing to ask for?

Huge hugs and coffee sipping in a cafe with you today (daydream)...

xoxoxo