oilshale Posted November 8, 2018 Share Posted November 8, 2018 A few weeks ago I was looking for a new case for my iPhone. So I browsed around a Chinese internet shop. I came across cases with fossil pictures on the back: Icaronycteris from the Green River Formation, a Seymouria from the Permian, Aipichthys velifer from the Cretaceous of Lebanon, Archaeopteryx from Solnhofen, a fossil turtle (Green River?) and finally a Sparnodus vulgaris from the Eocene of Monte Bolca, Italy. Funny only that this Sparnodus vulgaris seemed so familiar to me! No wonder - the original is in my collection and hangs on the wall in the corridor. The Chinese company searched for some templates in the internet and found them at TFF. They probably downloaded the picture here in the forum. Now I have an IPhone housing with the image of a fish from my own collection. Thomas 8 Be not ashamed of mistakes and thus make them crimes (Confucius, 551 BC - 479 BC). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DPS Ammonite Posted November 8, 2018 Share Posted November 8, 2018 You should have asked for it for free as a partial royalty payment. I wonder if anyone else has found their images being used for commercial purposes. My goal is to leave no stone or fossil unturned. See my Arizona Paleontology Guide link The best single resource for Arizona paleontology anywhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oilshale Posted November 8, 2018 Author Share Posted November 8, 2018 11 minutes ago, DPS Ammonite said: You should have asked for it for free as a partial royalty payment. I wonder if anyone else has found their images being used for commercial purposes. The case cost only 2 dollars including shipping to the USA. That was not worth the effort... Be not ashamed of mistakes and thus make them crimes (Confucius, 551 BC - 479 BC). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tidgy's Dad Posted November 8, 2018 Share Posted November 8, 2018 How amazing! Bit cheeky of them, but you benefit so hurrah! Life's Good! Tortoise Friend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LiamL Posted November 8, 2018 Share Posted November 8, 2018 Think that's really cool! I would love to rock a fossil iphone case, but i prefer my phone without a case Yorkshire Coast Fossil Hunter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ludwigia Posted November 8, 2018 Share Posted November 8, 2018 Talk about coincidence! And actually quite special. You probably wouldn't have got this if you'd copyrighted the photo. Did you at least let them know that you're the owner of the original? Greetings from the Lake of Constance. Roger http://www.steinkern.de/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DPS Ammonite Posted November 8, 2018 Share Posted November 8, 2018 28 minutes ago, Ludwigia said: You probably wouldn't have got this if you'd copyrighted the photo. Photographs once taken by a person are given copyright protection (they are copyrighted) for free in the US. If you pay fees and register your copyright with the government, you receive additional protection and can receive additional monetary awards if your copyright is violated. My goal is to leave no stone or fossil unturned. See my Arizona Paleontology Guide link The best single resource for Arizona paleontology anywhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oilshale Posted November 8, 2018 Author Share Posted November 8, 2018 2 hours ago, DPS Ammonite said: Photographs once taken by a person are given copyright protection (they are copyrighted) for free in the US. If you pay fees and register your copyright with the government, you receive additional protection and can receive additional monetary awards if your copyright is violated. Same in Germany. But in China, nobody cares. The company I bought the case from is probably only a distributor and not the manufacturer. Be not ashamed of mistakes and thus make them crimes (Confucius, 551 BC - 479 BC). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xiphactinus Posted November 8, 2018 Share Posted November 8, 2018 China by and large doesn't care about copyright info. One of the websites of my company was completely copied, and "reskinned" for a Chinese company. Unfortunately for us they left a lot of our content on their site, including some copyrighted artwork we had paid for. We never were successful in getting it removed. This is a good reminder....never put too much info on the internet. It's there forever and you don't have much control. However, that is awesome having a case with one of your fossils on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJB Posted November 8, 2018 Share Posted November 8, 2018 Even though theivery was involved, its still purty dang cool. Now I want one, but with a crab on it. RB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walt Posted November 8, 2018 Share Posted November 8, 2018 5 minutes ago, RJB said: Even though theivery was involved, its still purty dang cool. Now I want one, but with a crab on it. RB @RJB, this place will put your photo on a case for about $20. https://www.skinit.com/create-your-own/custom-skins/phone You can even upload the photo and preview how it will look. 1 Everything is generated through your own will power ~ Ray Bradbury Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJB Posted November 8, 2018 Share Posted November 8, 2018 1 minute ago, Walt said: @RJB, this place will put your photo on a case for about $20. https://www.skinit.com/create-your-own/custom-skins/phone You can even upload the photo and preview how it will look. Wow! Thank you Walt. RB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpc Posted November 8, 2018 Share Posted November 8, 2018 Funny... my first reaction when I saw the specimens on the phone covers was.... I am sure they are NOT paying any royalty for not only the owner of the photo, but the owner of the fossil. The Icaronycteris for example, is in the Yale collections. I am sure they did not get permission to use it. And lo and behold, your tale kinda proved it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnBrewer Posted November 8, 2018 Share Posted November 8, 2018 4 hours ago, RJB said: Wow! Thank you Walt. RB You have $20 in your PayPal account as from 10 minutes ago @RJB Ron John Map of UK fossil sites Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nimravis Posted November 8, 2018 Share Posted November 8, 2018 Copyright or not, I think it is pretty cool and would buy them for friends and family, great stocking stuffers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walt Posted November 8, 2018 Share Posted November 8, 2018 9 minutes ago, Nimravis said: Copyright or not, I think it is pretty cool and would buy them for friends and family, great stocking stuffers. I'm kind of on the fence about all of this..... on one hand the fossil plainly belongs to the person who bought it or dug it from the ground and had it prepped and no one should profit from their efforts. But on the other hand I feel like it is not too much to ask if the world can at least see a picture of what is everyone's legacy. (legacy?) I suppose I would be mad at the arrogance of the Chinese vendor more than I would the fact that some kid in some country has a picture of my fossil on their phone. 1 Everything is generated through your own will power ~ Ray Bradbury Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ludwigia Posted November 8, 2018 Share Posted November 8, 2018 8 hours ago, DPS Ammonite said: Photographs once taken by a person are given copyright protection (they are copyrighted) for free in the US. If you pay fees and register your copyright with the government, you receive additional protection and can receive additional monetary awards if your copyright is violated. Just learned something new. I didn't know that was automatic. Greetings from the Lake of Constance. Roger http://www.steinkern.de/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walt Posted November 8, 2018 Share Posted November 8, 2018 DPS is right on. You do not even have to say "copyrighted" anymore for it to be copyrighted. From https://thelawtog.com/copyright-laws-for-photographers/ When is copyright created? Do I have to register it? Copyright is secured automatically when the work is created, and a work is “created” when it is fixed in a copy or phonorecord for the first time. In general, copyright registration is a legal formality intended to make a public record of the basic facts of a particular copy right. However, registration is not a condition of copyright protection. U.S. Copyright Office Do I have to give notice of copyright? The use of a copyright notice is no longer required under U.S. law, although it is often beneficial. Use of the notice may be important because it informs the public that the work is protected by copyright, identifies the copyright owner, and shows the year of first publication. Furthermore, in the event that a work is infringed, if a proper notice of copyright appears on the published copy or copies to which a defendant in a copyright infringement suit had access, then no weight shall be given to such a defendant’s interposition of a defense based on innocent infringement in mitigation of actual or statutory damages, except as provided in section 504(c)(2) of the copyright law. Innocent infringement occurs when the infringer did not realize that the work was protected. The use of the copyright notice is the responsibility of the copyright owner and does not require advance permission from, or registration with, the Copyright Office. U.S. Copyright Office What are the benefits of registering copyright? While you’re not required to register in order to have copyright ownership and protection, having it registered can provide you some advantages- a few are listed here for you: Ability to file suit – If you want to file suit, a registration application must either have been granted or denied, even if the infringement of your works has occurred Public Record – Registration puts your copyright ownership into public record and automatically negates any defense (although ignorance of law is not a true defense) for the infringer to claim they didn’t know that either it was copyrighted or who was the owner. You do not have to have it in public record in order to affix a notice to all works. Damages and Attorney’s Fees – Money talks right? If you have filed your registration for copyright within 3 months of publishing the work, or any time prior to the infringing action, copyright registration gives you the ability to recover statutory damages and fees for attorneys in the legal action. When applicable, statutory damages for infringing uses of a work usually entitle you to a pre-determined amount of damages (ranging from $750 to $30,000 per work infringed). 17 U.S.C. § 504(c). Everything is generated through your own will power ~ Ray Bradbury Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nimravis Posted November 8, 2018 Share Posted November 8, 2018 I believe know the site that you went on, and just checked, it appears that there have been (2) covers sold and that includes all of the different varieties of fossils. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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