Have finally joined the club - photo used inlicensed by local hotel on booking.com

PopeBuckfastXVI

One of my photos is being used on booking.com by a local hotel. It's just a photo taken in a park in the locality, it's nothing special to be honest, but still, they are advertising their business with it.

I'd say if I get in touch with them they'll just take it down, rather than pay anything for the use. This is not a case of 'exposure' either, as it's an unwatermarked copy and there's no credit.

What would you do?

** title should be 'unlicensed'!

pete4130

Screenshots, print outs of screenshots, print out of copyright law and an invoice and go to the local hotel if its nearby and speak directly to the manager.

Explain you've found out its being used and want to be paid for it. Explain the breach of copyright, how you feel, where they stand and show the printouts of the screenshots/photos of the webpage. See if they are willing to offer compensation. You might garnish a better result than firing off an email to them about it. Explain you'd be more than happy to do more work for them and see if you can work something out.

If there is no cooperation then assume it will be taken down asap. By bringing proof they've breached copyright might give you some leverage for cooperation. The next logical step would be the legal route but that is a lot of effort and possible expense for a small return unfortunately.

Kenny Logins

♬♫♪ Sack the intern, sack the intern, sack the intern... We sacked the intern. ♬♪♫

Paulw

Is the hotel using the image or is booking.com using the image?

That will decide who you invoice for image usage.

PopeBuckfastXVI

Paulw wrote: »

Is the hotel using the image or is booking.com using the image?

That will decide who you invoice for image usage.

I could be wrong, but I think that hotels manager their own 'page' on booking.com and upload their own photos.

Edit:

Your own web page for your property

Whatever the size or location, each property on Booking.com has its own web page. We will help you add photos, prices and other inventory to your page - and to keep them up to date.

https://admin.bookings.org/hotelreg/more-about-booking.html?lang=en

dinneenp

This would be interesting-
phone them up, talk to the manager and chat about 'anything that'll keep the chat going'.
Say you're planning on staying in the hotel as you're going on a photowalk, and btw I like the photo of the park, did you take it yourself, you must be good with a camera....

Effects

Stay a night in the hotel and don't pay for it. You can always trot out the exposure line if they have a problem with that.

thefizz

Effects wrote: »

Stay a night in the hotel and don't pay for it. You can always trot out the exposure line if they have a problem with that.

This is a great idea