That's a nice picture on your Facebook Page... Now pay up!

Can you just copy a picture from the internet? The Internet is great. The digital revolution brings countless good developments and never has there been such easy access to so much information. Yet, there are also negative sides to the Internet. Unauthorized use of copyrighted material is one. What is there to know about that?

Photographers are engaged in an uphill battle with companies and individuals who take their photos from Google images and reuse them online. The message "Images may be subject to copyright" is ignored. The photographer misses out on his license fee. He also often gets no recognition for his creative effort because his name is not mentioned anywhere. En garde!

The photographers now have an ally in their internet battle: a new type of business that uses algorithms and blockchain to crawl the internet for unauthorized use of images. Such business immediately sends a letter on behalf of the photographer to the infringer, (often) with a hefty bill.

The photographer has every right to oppose the unauthorised use of his photos, but with such an automated system, the private individual who posts a photo on Facebook also receives a hefty bill: sometimes as much as thousands of euros. These conflicts often spiral out of control: the private individual does not have the money and the negotiations with the rights organisation for a lower fee are difficult.

In the meantime, private individuals have a new trump card in the negotiations. Stichting FotoAnoniem, an organisation that plays an important role in determining damages in the event of copyright infringement on pictures, has a new list of fees.  Included is the compensation for online use of photos, with different rates for companies and individuals. Instead of thousands of euros, private use now often only costs €90. The private individual learns a valuable lesson about copyright and gets off with a fright. For business, fees are still significantly higher. The rule of thumb for everyone remains: don't just post material you found on the internet. Preferably always buy the rights right away!

Would you like to know more about copyright and the internet? We're here for you!

Mathijs Peijnenburg