Quote - It looks like we have been very busy with this topic.  I was sent an email, through Rendo, from Skyback that one of my images was on this website: http://www.1zoom.ru/see.php?n=43831&js=1&uu=130.7.  It seems like the person we have been discussing is on this webpage  too, but I am unsure.  I have could not locate a name as to who posted it.  They also left my marking on the image.  The site is also in Russian.  

I find this so very dishearting.  It seems the world can be a really cruddy place sometimes.  Let me know what I can do to do my part in getting this taken care of.  I am thankful for those who care enough to let us know about our art when they see it.

Beth

Well to be totally blunt about it. Once material is up on one .ru site, be prepared for it to spread quickly amnongst other .ru sites. Very often they belong to the same people in the background anyway. What we see here is the tiny tip of an iceberg and we are talking about the ripping of art pictures "only". What some of our departments both on state as on federal level have to deal with criminal energy wise with those states (and china!) is downright outrageous. Nevertheless giving up is the wrong answer. In politics exist only interests and compromises and those states want something from us too. So political pressure is the only mean which in some future will show any kinds of tiny results. And yes, I mean tiny. In the long run, everybody who displays whatever with a copyright beneath it in the internet will have to deal with those facts. I believe that in the end, we might have to rethink completely how to deal with copyrights, how to spread or display copyrighted material alltogether and all this might well be the end of most of the free display. Means: you want to see any of it, you got to pay for that. I can say for sure that our biggest phone company is dealing very seriously with industry and politics on how to implement a micropayment system that can easily be used "on the fly" (there exist several ones already, but they still feel they are too complicated). Also, german law puts Tv sets, Radios and Pc's on one level as machines which are apt to recieve and display radio or tv content. This does not only affect Pcs with a tv card, since tv programmes can be streamed and thus recieved via Inet. And a per machine fee which follows a too complicated system to describe it here, is due. Those fees are reinvested into the so called public radio and tv programmes and their internet presences. One idea that is discussed is to offer artists the possibility to affiliate themselves with any big Multimedia Industry Company who in return would defend their rights. To refinance this, additional fees on internet usage, Pc's and websites are discussed. Nothing has been decided, but things are on the move and I fear that a lot of the free display might dissappear if any of us want their rights somewhat protected. I dont say it has to end that way, but I see such signs on political levels here in Europe. just my 2c, Valerie