3/11/2021
Intellectual Property (IP) Law
The following services provide a free solution to check Copyright Infringement for individual images for both:
1️⃣ Creatives who want to determine whether their copyright has been infringed; +
2️⃣ Ethical businesses who want to check an image for potential copyright infringement before they use it on their website/blog.
TinEye Reverse Image Search for Free
Pixsy Reverse Image Search For Free for up to 500 images monitored
There is a level of complexity in dealing with any online Copyright Infringement.
The steps you need to follow to determine to which Country you need to send your Takedown Notice are not immediately obvious.
Logically, if an Australian company has a website, you might think that this means you need to send the Australian company your Takedown Notice.
Whilst you might contact them in the first instance to request they remove your image, if they do not take any action your next step is to send your Takedown Notice to the Internet Service Provider (ISP) hosting the website, not the Australian company directly.
The complication is caused by the fact that the ISP could be located anywhere in the world.
There is no requirement that a ".com.au" website must be hosted in Australia.
You can determine the location of the ISP hosting the infringing website via one of the following free search websites:
The applicable law and format of the Takedown Notice you need to send will vary depending on the Country where the ISP is located.
If you don't use Blue Ocean Law Group's services (we can assist for Australian Takedown Notices) you will need to use a service such as Pixsy (as they cover 37 countries) or failing that a lawyer from the Country where the ISP is located.
If you are having difficulty, please contact us so we can try to assist to locate the right lawyer.
Blue Ocean Law Group currently offer free Self-Service Takedown Notice generation for Copyright Infringement by a website hosted in:
⚖️ Australia; or
⚖️ USA*.
Note: A free Takedown Notice is currently being developed + tested for New Zealand.
*A USA Lawyer is required to review our DRAFT Takedown Notice.
Professional creatives with thousands of images online can select from the following options or search for competitors offering similar services:
The personal Pixsy Monitor monthly subscription includes up to 20 Takedown Notices across up to 35 countries with more expensive plans including higher caps on the number of Takedown Notices included.
Pixsy Resolve recovers your compensation globally when your images are stolen.
No win, no fee.
The same online image monitoring technology which is used to scan the internet for copyright infringement can also be used to proactively identify the illegal use of your brand and associated images.
This is a valuable service which has the ability to simultaneously provide both:
✅ Trademark Protection; +
✅ Phishing Attack Prevention.
The need for Phishing Attack Prevention will certainly grow in demand into the future.
Every business will need to proactively work to protect both their clients and their reputation by stopping phishing attacks using their brand.
Please read this article summarising the results of a comprehensive study about Phishing Attacks (published 9 March 2021).
We are currently in the process of negotiations to be able to offer this State-of-the-Art Reputation Management Solution to our clients.
Please contact us for more details.
Further Reading: Intellectual Property Law ➲ Smart List
Social Sharing Image: Courtesy of Kyle Cesmat on Unsplash
Credits: This blog article was written by James D. Ford GAICD | Principal Solicitor, Blue Ocean Law Group℠.
Important Notice:
This blog article is intended for general interest + information only.
It is not legal advice, nor should it be relied upon or used as such.
We recommend you always consult a lawyer for legal advice specifically tailored to your needs & circumstances.
Your comment has been received and we will approve it shortly.