Recently, thanks to the eagle-eye of a friend and past customer, I discovered images being sold that were clearly derived from my own photograph. Once I raised the issue, the company involved acted quickly and removed them. I appreciate the speed and professionalism of their response, and I’m glad the matter was resolved without escalation.
That’s the neat part of the story.
The less tidy part is how easily this happened in the first place.
Photographs have always been reused without permission. Anyone who shares work publicly accepts that risk. What has changed is how fast and simple it has become to take an existing image, alter a few elements and attempt to profit from work that isn’t yours.
At a glance, the image looked different.
Underneath, it wasn’t.The image was listed for sale on Displate, a marketplace for artwork where sellers are required to confirm they own the rights to any images they upload. In this case, the same image appeared under two separate seller accounts. Once notified, the listings were promptly removed and I thank them for their professionalism.
Underneath, it wasn’t.The image was listed for sale on Displate, a marketplace for artwork where sellers are required to confirm they own the rights to any images they upload. In this case, the same image appeared under two separate seller accounts. Once notified, the listings were promptly removed and I thank them for their professionalism.
Old Trafford In The Snow. My Original Photograph
The altered image
The similarities in the images were unmistakably more than just coincidence.
Identical compositionThe viewpoint, camera height, angle, and framing matched my original image exactly.
Unchanged structural layout
The spatial relationship between foreground, midground, and the stadium structure remained intact.
The spatial relationship between foreground, midground, and the stadium structure remained intact.
Element substitution, not redesign
The window area was altered but retained the same position, scale, and visual role as in my original image.
The window area was altered but retained the same position, scale, and visual role as in my original image.
Detail reduction to disguise origin
Textures and realism were softened or removed without changing the underlying structure.
Textures and realism were softened or removed without changing the underlying structure.
Inaccurate architectural cues
Some introduced details did not align with the real Old Trafford structure.
Some introduced details did not align with the real Old Trafford structure.
Always keep originals. Embed metadata. Use watermarks if you choose. Limit resolution where possible. Check occasionally. None of this guarantees protection. If someone wants to rip off an image, they will. What matters is recognising misuse, having the evidence, and being willing to act.