Here’s a shocker for you guys. (note sarcasm) Your clients can print fairly decent 4×6 from the images you’ve posted on Facebook and wait for it… wait for it…
BONUS SHOCK POINTS: Ordering prints directly from your Facebook albums is easier than you thought!
It looks like Walmart and Target have joined the likes of Snapfish and Pixable to allow any Facebook users to print directly to them without your permission. Loading up the Walmart facebook photo app takes me here (ACCESS MY FRIENDS INFORMATION)
That’s right folks, access your friends information AND PHOTOS! Now I can order a 4×6 of Matt Radlinkski whenever I feel like it and he can’t stop me short of removing his photo from Facebook.
Your only hope might be the Walmart copyright policy.
Photo Center Copyright Policy
WALMART.COM will not assist in the copying of a photograph that is signed, stamped or otherwise identified by any photographer or studio as copyrighted material, or any photograph that appears to have been taken by a professional photographer or studio, even if it is not marked with any sort of copyright, unless we are presented with a signed Copyright Release. Negatives or digital images of a copyrighted image will be retuned to you unprinted and you will be provided instructions on how to present WALMART.COM with a signed Copyright Release. In addition, WALMART.COM will not assist in the copying of any state or federal document, including but not limited to, driver’s licenses, passports and social security cards. Link
Reading that implies that slapping a Copyright or Watermark on your photos should stop them printing of images.
So it’s just Walmart right? Wrong! There are plenty of other services offering similar Facebook apps. Snapfish, Sam’s Club, Pixable and even those Kodak Kiosks will allow you to print direct from Facebook.
My big question for you is…
DWF Pros are already discussing this on the forums. Click to read (or sign-up for a FREE trial)
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8 Comments at "Facebook Allows Printing of Friends Photos"
Am I correct in assuming this does not apply to photos posted on business pages? If so I think this would be a non-issue for professional photographers.
this is all find an dandy except if you put images on disc for your clients, they’re gonna print those. they’ll upload them to fb too.
Okay – let’s be a little realistic here. If you put pictures on facebook any friend with a right click button (so everyone) can save your pics to their computer and print your pictures wherever they want anyway. So if you’re putting pictures online without a watermark you’re taking that risk anyway. All this does is let them skip the “save to your computer” step.
[...] PS: If you have a Facebook account and you post photos to that account, you should know Facebook Allows Printing of Friends Photos. [...]
@nick I get the client thing but this allows anyone who happens to be your friend on facebook to print your photos. A picture of your dog, kid or cat.
I think that most people get that by publishing it they are giving people the right to view but apparently labs are now just forgetting that there is an original copyright holder and allowing printing of someone else’s photo by a 3rd party without a copyright release.
Wait, Lutz is one of my facebook friends? I need to start exercising tighter control over whose requests I accept…
Go into Facebook’s Privacy Settings, then to “Edit your settings” for “Applications and Websites” (lower left) then “Edit Settings” for “Info accessible through your friends” and remove the checkmark beside “My Photos” and “Photos and videos I’m tagged in”… heck, I’ve removed access to EVERYTHING.
That’ll at least protect your images that you’ve uploaded. Putting that as a usage requirement in your contracts might be a good idea too.
[...] few days ago, Mark wrote about how Walmart is printing your (yes, your) photos from Facebook. And they aren’t alone. Target, [...]
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