The Digital Capture of Light

A hot button issue today, in the digital age is the menace of thievery. No, not theft of physical goods, but of copyrighted digital files - be it music, photos or any other medium. As a photographer, this has always been a matter of concern, but a spate of recent news has really caught my attention.

Two bloggers, Rang and Twilight Fairy have written about their photos from Flickr being used without their permission. The catch is that the culprits were not ignorant laymen, but renowned Indian Newspaper companies - Hindustan Times and Times of India. Read about their experiences in their own words here: Rang , Twilight Fairy

Just imagine what their reaction would be if they found one of their editorials plagiarized in someones website. However, their reaction to their transgressions has been to treat it as a triviality. The nerve!

We, as a photographic community have to stand up to these culprits and make sure they pay for their actions. I plan to do this by writing letters to the editors of the newspapers making my displeasure known. I hope a few of us doing our part can help the victims of this thievery and prevent future transgressions.