How to avoid this Image Issue

[snareshiver]

Hi,

Some spammy and unrelated sites are using my Image url and using the Image in their site. How to avoid this issue

 

[harryboon]

Do you own the rights to the image? Is it a copyright?

Hi,

Some spammy and unrelated sites are using my Image url and using the Image in their site. How to avoid this issue

 

[sonnas]

Hi,

Some spammy and unrelated sites are using my Image url and using the Image in their site. How to avoid this issue

how did you find out?

 

[paulus]

Hi,

Some spammy and unrelated sites are using my Image url and using the Image in their site. How to avoid this issue

You can't avoid it.

If you want to mess with them, you can create a new image with something insulting on it, upload it to the existing image URL and put the old image on a new URL for your own site to use. Your site gets to see the image as it always had, but the hotlinker gets to see the stupid image that insults its visitors.

Well it amuses me anyway.

 

[Alby10]

Is it possible to put a watermark of any kind on it?

Otherwise simply send them an email telling them they are infringing your copyright as it is your image and threaten legal action or contact their host. Chances are though they will ignore it, unfortunately.

 

[mobyme]

Put some text over the top of it saying: This image is stolen from "your site" because we are a bunch of lowlifes and it's how we make our living. Put an explanation of why you have done it underneath the image on your own site. A couple of days should sort it out and then go back to normal. I've done this twice now and they have dropped my image within a couple of hours.

 

[Annoying Donkey]

Have a look in your cpanel for the hosting, usually there is hotlink protection.

 

[paulus]

Have a look in your cpanel for the hosting, usually there is hotlink protection.

I never knew that. Thanks.

 

[snareshiver]

Do you own the rights to the image? Is it a copyright?

I don't own the rights for the image.

 

[snareshiver]

how did you find out?

You can easily find it using some search Operators

 

[snareshiver]

If those spammy sites use my images link, will it be taken as a Back link to my sites.

 

[akirk]

type in: htaccess hotlink into Google

you get a lot of good suggestions.
it is also possible to have an alternative image which your website can supply instead - why not create an advert for your business as a jpeg - use that and then anyone linking to your image will get your advert instead - free advertising

some very good tips - including how to do this on: http://corz.org/serv/tricks/htaccess.php and his other pages

Alasdair

 

[fisicx]

I don't own the rights for the image.

Well if the image isn't yours you can't complain if they are using it. All you can do is stop the hotlinking.

As suggested > replace the existing image with something disgusting, upload the old image with a new file name into the product page.

 

[akirk]

Well if the image isn't yours you can't complain if they are using it. All you can do is stop the hotlinking.

As suggested > replace the existing image with something disgusting, upload the old image with a new file name into the product page.

using the hotlink fix in htaccess as per the linked site above is a step better - it means you don't have to tackle this on an image by image basis...

if the OP doesn't own the rights to the image they can't prevent its use, but they can prevent server bandwidth being used, or at least use it for their own benefits

Alasdair

 

[zomex]

I love some of the suggestions! I like the idea of adding a watermark to the image just to let their visitors know it's been stolen.

Jack

 

[paulears]

Can you do it, and then let us have the link to the 'stealing' site and we can complain to them how disgusting it is!

 

[snareshiver]

If those site use my imageurl, Will it be taken as a backlink to my site?

 

[Eagle]

If you don't own the rights to the image, then should you even be using it on your site?

 

[dagaul101]

A strongly worded email to their host about copy right issues should put a stop to it

 

[snareshiver]

Well if the image isn't yours you can't complain if they are using it. All you can do is stop the hotlinking.

As suggested > replace the existing image with something disgusting, upload the old image with a new file name into the product page.

If those site use my imageurl, Will it be taken as a backlink to my site?

 

[fisicx]

If those site use my imageurl, Will it be taken as a backlink to my site?

To be a link there has to be an anchor tag. Since all they are doing is hotlinking you get no benefit at all.

You haven't answered the question regarding ownership of the images. Do you have permission to use the images?

 

[snareshiver]

No I don't have the ownership of the images. My only problem is that of my link is there in some spamming sites, Google lowers my authority. So I asked How to avoid this issues?

 

[paulus]

I doubt that hotlinking will saboutage your SEO efforts, otherwise all the competition would be doing it.