After This Photographer Caught A Record Label Stealing Her Pics, Their Response Made Her Jaw Drop
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With photography being such a primary and highly shared form of communication in the digital age, it is no surprise that people’s copyrights are being increasingly violated. And while most cases are settled in an amicable and respectful way; the photographer politely asks for recognition, payment or the image removed, some people are just assholes.
Concert photographer Adrienne Row-Smith experienced such a case recently, after covering a few bands at a show for Monkey Goose Magazine. It went well and everyone was happy with the results. However, soon after her work was published, she discovered that some of her photographs had been downloaded, re-edited, cropped to remove the watermark. They had been shared by one of the bands and its record label online, for their own commercial use.
“I had reached out to the band first, asking them to politely remove it since they had violated my copyright by editing them,” Adrienne told PetaPixel. “Whomever I was talking to was more than happy to remove the photos (which did not actually happen), and then proceeded to ask me how much I charge to get high-resolution copies for social media that they could use. I told them how much (which is where the 50$ per photo comes from), and then I never heard anything back – which is something I deal with a lot.”
“However, I went and checked and they still had not taken down the photos, so I asked them again (this is where I should have just taken them down myself) but in good faith, I reached out again.”
It is here that the exchange between Adrienne and the head of the record label took place, and as you can see for yourself, it is the height of rudeness and unprofessionalism. Not only does the label refuse to apologize, they actually mock and insult Adrienne in a quite appalling manner. She has chosen not to reveal the name of the record label, instead using the exchange to serve as an example of the everyday reality in the photography business. “I just wanted to share what I had experienced as a photographer in the music industry and that it is not just one person, but a trend,” she said about the incident.
Scroll down to check out how it unfolded for yourself, and let us know what you think in the comments!
(h/t: PetaPixel)
Concert photographer Adrienne Row-Smith had found that the record label she was working had used her photos without permission. “I had reached out to the band first, asking them to politely remove it since they had violated my copyright by editing them”
Surprisingly, this was the record label’s response
People reacted with passion
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Sorry. I'm sick of people not naming and shaming. This guy is an absolute scumbag. His attitude is so infuriating. My blood would boil if he was right in front of me and I'd totally lose it.
The record label is Heretic Records. They are currently trying to delete all evidence of themselves from the internet.
yeah, https://www.theindustryobserver.com.au/record-label-attacks-photographer/
Are you sure? I tried to find out, the band in monkeygoose magazine is The contortionist, and they have two labels listed on wikipedia, heretic records isn't mentioned?? I want to know!!
I was mistaken in my previous comment. There actually is a label called heretics records in the US. They were throughoutly with disappearing, that I could only find their empty website http://hereticrecords.com/ ; their youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPKGSHaIGZPaD-YkpKhPrlA/channels ; their blocked facebook and twitter acounts, and another newsstory about them https://www.worldwide-underground.com/single-post/2018/04/04/Heretic-Records-Caught-Charging-an-Absurd-Amount-For-Signing-Video-Content?fb_comment_id=1760217644050616_1763070853765295
Seriously? They call themselves Heretic Records!? 🤣😂🤣😂
Their actual name is not heretic records. They are just named that way on twitter. "Aussie radio presenter Ti Butler took to Twitter to name the label as Heretic Records"
And the photographer was even polite and very, very patient! If I was her, I would first make them in 2 stotinkis(a literal translation of a Bulgarian expression that basically means "send to hell with swear words"), then find a lawyer, or anyone who could help me sort this out in legal way. I would make this dumb ass's life miserable and I ain't gonna apologise for it at all.
It probably wouldn't take much for the internet to figure out which label it is...
You know folks, NAMING AND SHAMING is something I have started doing for the past 9 years. Goddammit, it WORKS. The missus also does it now, no threats or screaming like a "Karen", just a full-on, single-track, tank-demolition online, on my personal blog, and then linking that to the guilty party's Facebook and social media... Results are always forthcoming. Hit them where it hurts... Social-media.
BAND- THE CONTORTIONIST, at GOOD FIGHT ENTERTAINMENT (on Wikipedia it says they have two record labels so it could be the other one, but I think it's this one. The woman's article was in Monkeygoose magazine.
And there you have it - Toni wins the internet for the day! :-)
I'm sick of artists being so polite and kind when companies steal from them and treat them like sh*t. It perpetuates the insanity. I hope she sues their pants off now!
Shame used to be a functioning part of society, and it worked well in almost ever case. Now we have heard "don't judge me" so much and in every instance, WE feel ashamed to shame someone who society needs to put in their place. My parents never spanked me but the treat of being spanked in public, where witnesses could see my punishment for bad behavior made me jump back in line EVERY TIME. Let's start shaming those who need it! Like this sorry excuse for a human!
I think they are trying to shame the compajnies by showing themselves as the better person or something, but that doesn’t work very well when companies only care about money and public image.
@ Suzy. Yes. If they made it to court, they would have to prove she lied - but in the meantime, she would have to pay to defend herself, and one thing companies are good at is dragging out legal proceedings until the other side is too broke to continue. I like the way the idiots are down voting my post - when it’s a simple statement of fact. If she wants to sue, there are certain things she has to avoid. Babbling like an idiot and posting nasty things on the internet would NOT help her case at all. In fact, it might lead to a dismissal.
This was so infuriating to read and indeed bloodboiling that I tried to find the record label's name. A commenter here: https://petapixel.com/2018/04/27/record-label-insults-photographer-after-stealing-her-photos/#disqus_thread names "Heretic records". Apparantly, this is a new label; googling them leads to results like "You can upload demos at Ihateheretic@gmail.com". This seems an appropriate name, no? :)
It looks like they've shut down their Twitter and Facebook pages. If you can't stand the hate, pay "kiddo" for her work.
Upload demos?!! They steal a photo, how many think they wouldn't steal music?
Heretic Records. Unfortunatly they have already taken their Twitter and Facebook down
They made a new page https://www.facebook.com/ihateheretics/
Yes sometimes trying to “take the high road” and not “name names” doesn’t make you look like the better or more mature person, it’s just makes you look weak sometimes. She is going to have to get tougher.
I agree, I would splash his and his companies name wherever I could, before nailing the arsehole in court.
Owner of that record label, tell him what you think :) https://www.facebook.com/Colbybellvocals/?ref=br_rs
Its a fake. Why would the dude who is supposed to be shamed screenshoting the conversation.
Fearless Records
im wrong, please ignore. This is why naming names is important. Show other artists who to stay away from.
Actually Travis I’m glad that you made this mistake (and quickly corrected it). It reminded me of the other side of the issue.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
If she has to sue the company, they could countersue for libel. This is a legal matter, not whining in the schoolyard. This is standard and ANY lawyer worth his/her salt would say the same thing.
They would have to prove she lied.
"kiddo" and "aloud". Kind of says all we need to know.
I cringed every time this high-and-mighty jerk used "aloud".
"shotty"
More then anything, the thing that jumps out to me is the amount of aggression.. I have received similar responses to really mundane comments (elsewhere) and I don't know where it comes from. From what I understand here, she was only asking for her photo to be returned and removed from their publicity, so why did they react so angriy?.. What a crazy, angry world we live in.
It's just a theory of mine, but when working in customer service, I've noticed that the more ridiculous and unlikely a customer's complaint is, the more aggressive they are. A customer with a reasonable complaint is usually calm and polite (at least at first) but the obvious liars try to bowl you over and put you on the defensive in the hopes you won't notice they have no case. I think that's what this is: the semi-illiterate asshat had been called on his theft, and tried using excessive hostility to try to just roll right over any reasoned arguments.
In my life experience, I've noticed all liars react that way. [I haven't been around the block, I've been around the city a few times].
Kolvanov: You are a very stupid person. Except you're probably not a person. More like the hubris from an anal cavity.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
You believe in Jesus and think he's still alive? Shadowlord of Cowardice, sums up your gay-obsessed low IQ mind, trying to persuade my to the gay-side. Very sneaky my cretin. Come again.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
And you're the disposed rotten animal semen from a prolapsed anus. Come again. Cool?
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
Why can't you simply admit that all you want to do in life is to suck the penis of gay jesus?
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
Brivid: did you just assume this was a man writing to the photographer, on the basis of the aggression and 'kiddo'. Stick your head out of your echo chamber, and you'll see many 1st contacts at social media gates, are women who can write the same. 'Probably based on some personal relationship.' Stick to cat videos.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
The tone and writing, appears as if it's a woman writing it. Aggressive as a defensive reaction, as they know they're in the wrong.
Nope, DEFINITELY a man.
WOW! Ok, so if we are all going to make blanket ASSumptions (probably based on some personal relationship) and after reading your post, I will now assume every stupid comment comes from a man.
Sorry. I'm sick of people not naming and shaming. This guy is an absolute scumbag. His attitude is so infuriating. My blood would boil if he was right in front of me and I'd totally lose it.
The record label is Heretic Records. They are currently trying to delete all evidence of themselves from the internet.
yeah, https://www.theindustryobserver.com.au/record-label-attacks-photographer/
Are you sure? I tried to find out, the band in monkeygoose magazine is The contortionist, and they have two labels listed on wikipedia, heretic records isn't mentioned?? I want to know!!
I was mistaken in my previous comment. There actually is a label called heretics records in the US. They were throughoutly with disappearing, that I could only find their empty website http://hereticrecords.com/ ; their youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPKGSHaIGZPaD-YkpKhPrlA/channels ; their blocked facebook and twitter acounts, and another newsstory about them https://www.worldwide-underground.com/single-post/2018/04/04/Heretic-Records-Caught-Charging-an-Absurd-Amount-For-Signing-Video-Content?fb_comment_id=1760217644050616_1763070853765295
Seriously? They call themselves Heretic Records!? 🤣😂🤣😂
Their actual name is not heretic records. They are just named that way on twitter. "Aussie radio presenter Ti Butler took to Twitter to name the label as Heretic Records"
And the photographer was even polite and very, very patient! If I was her, I would first make them in 2 stotinkis(a literal translation of a Bulgarian expression that basically means "send to hell with swear words"), then find a lawyer, or anyone who could help me sort this out in legal way. I would make this dumb ass's life miserable and I ain't gonna apologise for it at all.
It probably wouldn't take much for the internet to figure out which label it is...
You know folks, NAMING AND SHAMING is something I have started doing for the past 9 years. Goddammit, it WORKS. The missus also does it now, no threats or screaming like a "Karen", just a full-on, single-track, tank-demolition online, on my personal blog, and then linking that to the guilty party's Facebook and social media... Results are always forthcoming. Hit them where it hurts... Social-media.
BAND- THE CONTORTIONIST, at GOOD FIGHT ENTERTAINMENT (on Wikipedia it says they have two record labels so it could be the other one, but I think it's this one. The woman's article was in Monkeygoose magazine.
And there you have it - Toni wins the internet for the day! :-)
I'm sick of artists being so polite and kind when companies steal from them and treat them like sh*t. It perpetuates the insanity. I hope she sues their pants off now!
Shame used to be a functioning part of society, and it worked well in almost ever case. Now we have heard "don't judge me" so much and in every instance, WE feel ashamed to shame someone who society needs to put in their place. My parents never spanked me but the treat of being spanked in public, where witnesses could see my punishment for bad behavior made me jump back in line EVERY TIME. Let's start shaming those who need it! Like this sorry excuse for a human!
I think they are trying to shame the compajnies by showing themselves as the better person or something, but that doesn’t work very well when companies only care about money and public image.
@ Suzy. Yes. If they made it to court, they would have to prove she lied - but in the meantime, she would have to pay to defend herself, and one thing companies are good at is dragging out legal proceedings until the other side is too broke to continue. I like the way the idiots are down voting my post - when it’s a simple statement of fact. If she wants to sue, there are certain things she has to avoid. Babbling like an idiot and posting nasty things on the internet would NOT help her case at all. In fact, it might lead to a dismissal.
This was so infuriating to read and indeed bloodboiling that I tried to find the record label's name. A commenter here: https://petapixel.com/2018/04/27/record-label-insults-photographer-after-stealing-her-photos/#disqus_thread names "Heretic records". Apparantly, this is a new label; googling them leads to results like "You can upload demos at Ihateheretic@gmail.com". This seems an appropriate name, no? :)
It looks like they've shut down their Twitter and Facebook pages. If you can't stand the hate, pay "kiddo" for her work.
Upload demos?!! They steal a photo, how many think they wouldn't steal music?
Heretic Records. Unfortunatly they have already taken their Twitter and Facebook down
They made a new page https://www.facebook.com/ihateheretics/
Yes sometimes trying to “take the high road” and not “name names” doesn’t make you look like the better or more mature person, it’s just makes you look weak sometimes. She is going to have to get tougher.
I agree, I would splash his and his companies name wherever I could, before nailing the arsehole in court.
Owner of that record label, tell him what you think :) https://www.facebook.com/Colbybellvocals/?ref=br_rs
Its a fake. Why would the dude who is supposed to be shamed screenshoting the conversation.
Fearless Records
im wrong, please ignore. This is why naming names is important. Show other artists who to stay away from.
Actually Travis I’m glad that you made this mistake (and quickly corrected it). It reminded me of the other side of the issue.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
If she has to sue the company, they could countersue for libel. This is a legal matter, not whining in the schoolyard. This is standard and ANY lawyer worth his/her salt would say the same thing.
They would have to prove she lied.
"kiddo" and "aloud". Kind of says all we need to know.
I cringed every time this high-and-mighty jerk used "aloud".
"shotty"
More then anything, the thing that jumps out to me is the amount of aggression.. I have received similar responses to really mundane comments (elsewhere) and I don't know where it comes from. From what I understand here, she was only asking for her photo to be returned and removed from their publicity, so why did they react so angriy?.. What a crazy, angry world we live in.
It's just a theory of mine, but when working in customer service, I've noticed that the more ridiculous and unlikely a customer's complaint is, the more aggressive they are. A customer with a reasonable complaint is usually calm and polite (at least at first) but the obvious liars try to bowl you over and put you on the defensive in the hopes you won't notice they have no case. I think that's what this is: the semi-illiterate asshat had been called on his theft, and tried using excessive hostility to try to just roll right over any reasoned arguments.
In my life experience, I've noticed all liars react that way. [I haven't been around the block, I've been around the city a few times].
Kolvanov: You are a very stupid person. Except you're probably not a person. More like the hubris from an anal cavity.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
You believe in Jesus and think he's still alive? Shadowlord of Cowardice, sums up your gay-obsessed low IQ mind, trying to persuade my to the gay-side. Very sneaky my cretin. Come again.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
And you're the disposed rotten animal semen from a prolapsed anus. Come again. Cool?
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
Why can't you simply admit that all you want to do in life is to suck the penis of gay jesus?
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
Brivid: did you just assume this was a man writing to the photographer, on the basis of the aggression and 'kiddo'. Stick your head out of your echo chamber, and you'll see many 1st contacts at social media gates, are women who can write the same. 'Probably based on some personal relationship.' Stick to cat videos.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
The tone and writing, appears as if it's a woman writing it. Aggressive as a defensive reaction, as they know they're in the wrong.
Nope, DEFINITELY a man.
WOW! Ok, so if we are all going to make blanket ASSumptions (probably based on some personal relationship) and after reading your post, I will now assume every stupid comment comes from a man.