Citing a recent spate of copyright infringement cases, the photography collective X-Fotos has successful created a registry for copyright infringers. The photographers combed through archives of legal cases to compile a list of names that they retroactively registered, and for any future cases, the infringers will have to add their names to the list. X-Fotos hopes that the registry will stem the rising tide of infringement cases.
“It’s totally not cool,” said Tom Morrow, the founder of X-Fotos, about folks who think they can get away with misappropriating photographs. “If a dude moves to my neighborhood, I want to know if he’s ever stolen somebody’s work. Man, I want to f***ing know.”
The website X-Fotos set up for the registry features a map with a search field where you can type in a name you’re curious about. If there’s a match, the person’s face will appear with a portrait and a list of offenses.
“That way, you’ll know if you want to have a beer with this guy or punch him in the face,” said Morrow, who has a number of assault charges on his rap sheet for punching copyright infringers. In most cases, Morrow would approach the person, and as he delivers the right hook, he’ll say, “This is for stealing that photo, d***.”
The first batch of names Morrow added to the registry were Fox News employees who used photographer Erika Shultz’s image of two Muslim girls without her permission. A story ran in the Seattle Times about women-only swim times at a pool in Tukwila, Washington. About a week later, Fox News did its thing when it used the image to illustrate that Sharia law is taking hold here in the States.
The employees weren’t fired, but they’re on Tom Morrow’s list.
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