9 replies to this topic

[Giles]

Ok I have no idea if i entered this photo in this websites competition Picture.com

I have had a few mails from them praising my image which is on their site here

There emails tell me they are sorry I cant make it to DC to collect my prize but if I would like to buy it they will send me this

They also Own another site called www.poetry.com
I found these links about them with help from a freind which makes it look like a scam that they surf the web trying to cover up with positive reponses.
Articles from other victims:
[list]
[*]International Library of Photography
[*]The Complaint Station for International Library of Photography | The Complaint Station
[*]Canada's Investigative Consumer Program
[list]

Does anyone else have any experience with this, do we know for sure it is a scam ... I am pretty sure its not real, I have never replied to them until now, and they use my non photo orientated email address, which is weird, i wouldnt normally give it out in association with photos.
And as I have never replied why would they know I was unable to make it to their show in DC ?

I have the emails if anyone would like to see them.

but most the links here will provide you with a good enough point of view.
What I want to know is what do they stand to gain ? a photo ?

just wanted to pass this info on,
freely lovin right now ,
Giles

[astrl]

Wow, great photo!

I entered a picture in their contest a couple of years ago, but it didn't win. It wasn't a diving picture, although I did buy the book it was printed in. I wish I had seen the posts from the links you have listed first...

Sounds like a scam. I did actually receive the book which sounds more than some people got. They keep sending me invites to come to their annual awards/workshop thing. It costs an arm and a leg so I never go.

Post whatever you find out. Good luck!

astrl

[james]

Hi Giles,

I liked your photo so much, I decided to buy a coffee mug with the photo on it...:-) This is what I got when I clicked on the "buy products" link:

Sorry, this picture hasn't been registered for use on products yet.

If you are the photographer you can purchase products yourself as well as license your photo for use by others. Simply register your picture online right now, and become part of the internet's largest, newest and most exciting commercial stock photography house. You can then start earning royalties for the use of your photo.
 
If you're not the photographer, but would like to use this photo on a product, you may contact our customer service department and we will make the request on your behalf.

Well, that's good news - in a way.

Cheers
James

[Giles]

I was very close to giving permission for its use, all you have to do is click a link to accept the prize. After I read up about their sites and peoples disappointment I decided not to accept and instead found out who the owners of the sites are through whois.org or whatever. I sent them a rude email telling them they needed to give me money if they wished to continue showing my photo on their site and if i saw it anywhere else I would be forced to take legal action.

The amusing ting is if you type into google anything to do with them you come up with more forums discussing their scam than you do actually about their site.

I probably entered that photo a while back but recently got pestered by their emails to come to their convention and accept my prize that i began to realise what crap it was when the money they asked me to pay for the privaledge got mentioned.

[momommius]

I too find this organization highly questionable. I just received the e-mail inviting me to "receive my awards" since I was not able to attend the convention.
Interesting factoid; they show you an image of the silver bowl you've won with your name engraved on the front, but if you click on the link to actually receive the award (for a tidy sum of $169), you are asked to print exactly how you want your name to appear on the award. So, it is my feeling that no award currently exists for me in the first place- they just want my money.
Well, they did get money from me for 2 copies of the so-called book that my photograph is published in. These were supposed to be out in Oct. of 2004, but I received a card in the mail saying that they would not be published until May of 2005. It will be interesting to see if I received these at all.
Not an underwater diving photo, but if anyone wants to view my photograph, it is here http://www.picture.c....asp?ID=1572733
Bottom line- I think the place is probably a scam.

[Snappy]

How did they get your picture? If you didn't send it to them, but they took it off another website (yours?) or whatever, I assume you could sue them for copyright infringement. Posting a picture on the internet equals publishing, and having done so without your consent is a big no-no.

[cloustalot]

I sent in a picture to these people 7 years ago, didn't win, but I ordered the book it was printed in. I remember it taking quite some time to actually get the book, but I did get it. It was a pretty substantial volume, and my picture was in there....but that was before they started their website and merchandise stuff (I think!) and it was a print anyway, not a digital file.

I did take a look at their site a month or so ago - and noticed one of their featured photos on the front page at the time was the "grand prize winner" the year I entered......interesting they are still using a photo that old. I doubt the original photographer is getting royalties....

[smash]

I've had two run-ins with these scams. The first time was when I was 12 -- I entered a poem I wrote about drunk driving into the National Poetry Contest and was notified that I was a national finalist. But what 12-year old can afford the tomes they want you to buy? I never heard from them again.

Three years ago, I entered a diving picture into the picture.com contest. You can see the picture here. Late last year, I received a note saying that the picture had advanced to the semifinal round of judging, and would I like to buy the book, or a mug, or a lucite trophy, or the commemorative plaque? I didn't and (probably) consequentially, I've never heard from them again.

Live and learn.

Cheers,
smash

[peggyllp03@yahoo.com]

I too find this organization highly questionable. I just received the e-mail inviting me to "receive my awards" since I was not able to attend the convention.
Interesting factoid; they show you an image of the silver bowl you've won with your name engraved on the front, but if you click on the link to actually receive the award (for a tidy sum of $169), you are asked to print exactly how you want your name to appear on the award. So, it is my feeling that no award currently exists for me in the first place- they just want my money.
Well, they did get money from me for 2 copies of the so-called book that my photograph is published in. These were supposed to be out in Oct. of 2004, but I received a card in the mail saying that they would not be published until May of 2005. It will be interesting to see if I received these at all.
Not an underwater diving photo, but if anyone wants to view my photograph, it is here http://www.picture.c....asp?ID=1572733
Bottom line- I think the place is probably a scam.

yea i have put a few pics on that site too. and i just looked it up. and the site is no longer there. what do u know about the site. is it still active or did they change there web address. email me back if u know anything. at luckylady1969@hotmail.com

[nudibranch]

I ave had two images win prizes in the Photo.com web showcases, both apparently went on toe get full page coverage in the annual books. sadly I was unable to go to DC to collect the prizes etc and after several emails pleading with me to come they finally stopped bugging me.

It is a scam of the highest order deliberately aimed at folks who have no chance of seeing their work published anywhere else. I entered in good faith and felt totally ripped off by the end. They wanted to charge me a couple hundred dollars to send me a commemorative crystal piece etc and another X amount to buy a copy of the book.

Glad to see i am not the only one