Results Not Typical

Many thanks to the eagle-eyed folk who wrote to say my Before and After photos have been pilfered to flog dodgy diet products. This time I'm singing the praises of a miraculous green tea concoction:

Another version of the site offers this glowing testimonial:

This has happened a few times before and no doubt will continue to happen so long as nicking images is as simple as right click, Save As. In the past I've got these types to desist simply by bombarding them with bossy emails. But these these jerks aren't paying attention. I started out firm and polite and now I'm all SERIOUSLY YOU GUYS TAKE MY PICTURE DOWN Or I'll Call My Squadron Of Imaginary Lawyers, but they ain't scared!

It's a wee bit annoying to work your arse off for half a decade and see Doctor Dodgy's Amazing Green Tea Goo try to steal the credit. Fer shame.   If any beverages deserve applause here it would be water, vodka, and Nambarrie tea.

So in conclusion, if you see my ginger mug beside a rapturous endorsement, please don't gasp in horror, "She lied on her blog! For seven years! It was the green tea all along!" It ain't me! It ain't meeee heeee!

. .  .

Twitter update: My page is working again! Just in time for another Twitter bug to wipe out 75% of my followers. If you like pointless missives of 140 characters or less, I'm your lady!

Comments

[1 · Posted by dg · July 24, 2008 at 04:56 PM]

btw that's me singing Fortunate Son in the second last para.

[2 · Posted by Sagan · July 24, 2008 at 05:09 PM]

That's irritating! IS that legal? Stupid companies with their dodgy fake products:)

[3 · Posted by disgruntled · July 24, 2008 at 05:17 PM]

Can you watermark the images? So that at least if they rip them off your URL will still be on there and people can come & get the real story

[4 · Posted by dg · July 24, 2008 at 05:44 PM]

that is a good idea disgruntled :) will have to figure out how to do that while making sure you can still see the pics ok

[5 · Posted by Fit Bottomed Girls · July 24, 2008 at 06:03 PM]

I hate those dieting companies...I always wonder how they got their testimonials and now I know -- they stole them!!!

p.s. That graphic of the kitties playing ping pong is memorizing.

[6 · Posted by Fit Bottomed Girls · July 24, 2008 at 06:06 PM]

I just posted a comment, but it doesn't look like it took. Forgive me if you see this twice, but...

I always wondered where those sham diet companies go their testimonials from. Now I know -- they've stolen them from people who have actually done the hard work. For shame!

Also, the kitties playing ping pong is mesmerizing.

[7 · Posted by Emma · July 24, 2008 at 06:12 PM]

What about a no right click script? The only one I know doesn't work in firefox but I'm sure you could find one that does.

[8 · Posted by Sam · July 24, 2008 at 07:12 PM]

How DARE they! That is totally illegal and you can certainly take them to court and win damages. Or at the very least to remove those images.

Am full of righteous indignation!

[9 · Posted by ganching · July 24, 2008 at 07:40 PM]

I clicked on an ad on Facebook which a thumbprint of what appeared to be a very, very overweight woman who over the course of 4 pictures turns into a skeletal shadow of her former self. I looked at it because I couldn't believe they were using such a thin model or more likely had doctored the picture in some way. The ad was for some dodgy herbal rubbish called something like "pink patches" and was aimed at young woman. What shocked me about this was that I didn't think it was legal to advertise like this in the UK. I didn't think it made it ok just because it is on the internet and not at the back of a teenage mag. I worry about Facebook and its approach to advertising. (Sorry for ranting.)

[10 · Posted by Taz · July 24, 2008 at 07:54 PM]

Hey Shauna, Sorry i havent posted before but ive been reading!
Thats rediculous........presumably they have to do something about it! They cant use pictures of you without your permission. I had to sign once for a photographer to take pictures of me for X-Factor Lol. Long story.

[11 · Posted by Taz · July 24, 2008 at 08:04 PM]

I copied the copyright policy on their webpage.....hope this helps.

Infringement Notification
To file a notice of infringement with us, you must provide a written communication (by fax or regular mail -- not by email, except by prior agreement) that sets forth the items specified below. Please note that you may be liable for damages (including costs and attorneys' fees) if you materially misrepresent that a product or activity is infringing your copyrights. Accordingly, if you are not sure whether material available online infringes your copyright, we suggest that you first contact an attorney.

Your communication must include substantially all of the following:

A physical or electronic signature of a person authorized to act on behalf of the owner of an exclusive right that is allegedly infringed.
Identify in sufficient detail the location of copyrighted work that you believe has been infringed upon (for example, "The copyrighted work at issue is the text that appears on http://auctionmonster.securemediacenter.com") or other information sufficient to specify the copyrighted work being infringed. If multiple copyrighted works at a single online site are covered by a single notification, a representative list of such works at that site.
Identification of the material that is claimed to be infringing or to be the subject of infringing activity and that is to be removed or access to which is to be disabled, and information reasonably sufficient to permit us to locate the material.
Information reasonably sufficient to permit us to contact the complaining party, such as an address, telephone number, and, if available, an electronic mail address at which the complaining party may be contacted.
The following statement: "I have a good faith belief that use of the material in the manner complained of is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law."
The following statement: "I swear, under penalty of perjury, that the information in the notification is accurate, and that I am the copyright owner or am authorized to act on behalf of the owner of an exclusive right that is allegedly infringed."

Send it to: support@securemediabox.com

[12 · Posted by Laura N · July 24, 2008 at 09:57 PM]

That just sucks.

I don't even know how to IM. I am SO not going down the Twitter path. Yes, indeed, I'm an old fogey.

[13 · Posted by LBTEPA · July 24, 2008 at 10:17 PM]

How rude!

[14 · Posted by K · July 24, 2008 at 11:02 PM]

Grrrrrr. I hope the idiots can be persuaded to stop using it.

I think there is definitely some sort of script you can do to make it harder to copy photos. Not that I know how to do it or anything, but I've come across photos that can't be right-click-saved (not that I would've wanted them for nefarious purposes - they were almost certainly pictures of kittens to go in my "cheerful fluffy pictures" folder, or some such).

[15 · Posted by dg · July 24, 2008 at 11:26 PM]

cheers for all yer comments and/or helpful ideas folks, much appreciated! :)

been trying to think of a way to work that cat .gif into an entry, this was pretty darn flimsy premise but anyway :P

[16 · Posted by Alex Costa - minimizeme.tv · July 24, 2008 at 11:52 PM]

I'm sorry for you, that really sucks, if was with me I will be really mad. By the way I love your book cover very clever.
Congratulations for your weight loss.

[17 · Posted by janekc · July 24, 2008 at 11:52 PM]

That's a disgrace. Is there some sort of consumer affairs regulator you can complain to? Maybe they can investigate and get it taken down...

[18 · Posted by Charlene · July 25, 2008 at 01:29 AM]

C'mon, it's secretly been green tea all this time, hasn't it? :) I'm reading your blog from Canada (love it!) and always end up wanting things from away - off to see what is Nambarrie tea, and can I get it here! :)

[19 · Posted by Gabrielle H · July 25, 2008 at 07:01 AM]

That is horrable. There really are people out there with no respect for interlectual property or comersial ethics.

[20 · Posted by dg · July 25, 2008 at 09:05 AM]

Charlene - Nambarrie is just cheap ol everyday tea, but quite strong! I like my tea strong and milky :)

[21 · Posted by Loth · July 25, 2008 at 09:27 AM]

I'll be your lawyer! (I'm only partly imaginary!!)

[22 · Posted by Kek · July 25, 2008 at 11:31 AM]

Outrageous!

You should be able to add a wateramrk to your images via Photoshop...but I've never bothered to look up the how-to.

I'm sure it's in the Help somewhere.

Dodgy bloody diet companies. Grr.

[23 · Posted by aishchai · July 25, 2008 at 02:26 PM]

Oh my lord! Nambarrie tea. The iracle elixir of Northern Ireland! Can I find it in Brighton. NO. I'm going to have to stock up again on my next trip home.

[24 · Posted by Sharon · July 25, 2008 at 04:14 PM]

Just a thought...would your publishing company be able to help? Seems to me they have a vested interest in protecting your image and reputation. Perhaps someone in their legal department would be willing to draft a letter - might carry a little more weight and get the attention of these ripoff artists. Good luck!

[25 · Posted by Graendal · July 25, 2008 at 05:03 PM]

Based on the spelling I'll hazard a guess that it's a US company - if so, and you're interested, I know a great firm there who handle intellectual property cases.

For that matter, I know a great one in the UK if you want details.

[26 · Posted by Becky · July 25, 2008 at 05:03 PM]

WOW! How low is that!? I would be livid. =/

[27 · Posted by Cat · July 25, 2008 at 05:29 PM]

Would you like to fix this? Email me, there are options -- non legal options. It really chaffes my pickle when my friends get taken advantage of. xox

[28 · Posted by goodbyetoallfat · July 26, 2008 at 12:12 AM]

Well I can see lots of people have offered you advice already. I think the person who said get your publishers involved has a good thought.

It really should not cost *too* much money to get solicitors to send out a "cease and desist" letter to all fake ads that infringe your photos. Obviously actually taking full legal action and suing does cost a lot, but if you (and/or your publishers) could just have one lawyer with a standard "cease and desist" letter ready to send to all these pesky fakesters it should help.

(Most fakesters will quake upon receiving a proper legal letter from a law firm, rather than just a complaint from the person themselves -- they know that you are at least willing to engage a firm of lawyers at that point.)

[29 · Posted by Mary · July 26, 2008 at 12:13 AM]

Ridiculous.

[30 · Posted by Shortcake · July 26, 2008 at 12:34 AM]

I am positive you could press charges without a lawyer... if your book and the images there in are copyrighted.. the they are infringing... A cease and desist order would prevent them from using your pictures.

[31 · Posted by Shortcake · July 26, 2008 at 12:36 AM]

you could just use paint or indesign or publisher to write your website on the pictures... however that would not stop the people who already have your images.

[32 · Posted by Tamakikat · July 26, 2008 at 01:17 AM]

Hi Shauna,

unfortunately sharing photos on the internet does make us sitting ducks for the lazy a**holes out there. I agree with the watermark idea. If someone would tell us how to do it I'd appreciate it.

TK

[33 · Posted by dg · July 26, 2008 at 01:42 AM]

Thanks again for all the comments folks! I'll let ya know how i get on :)

[34 · Posted by Beth · July 26, 2008 at 04:00 AM]

At least here in the US, it's not just copyright infringement, it's also a tort. There's a particular tort based on invasion of the right to privacy because of unauthorized use of your picture or name for their commercial advantage. I don't know if it's the same there, but I can tell you from the perspective of someone studying for the bar that many of our more confusing laws come from the UK :)

[35 · Posted by PastaQueen · July 26, 2008 at 04:10 AM]

Woah, that's crazy. I can't believe someone would steal your photos like that. Well, I guess I can, I just wish I didn't live in a world where that happened. Good thing my photos are all in Flash. Hopefully the tea-shillers won't be able to figure out how to save them.

[36 · Posted by Miss Me · July 26, 2008 at 05:44 AM]

sue them!

[37 · Posted by Melanie · July 26, 2008 at 08:06 AM]

Wasn't the "After" picture taken for Grazia? Wouldn't they have the copyright for that and thus the option to sue?

[38 · Posted by Melanie · July 26, 2008 at 08:08 AM]

Just looked at the larger version of the picture again. Not Grazia then. Shame.

[39 · Posted by kimbofo · July 26, 2008 at 12:50 PM]

Ooooh, I get livid when someone steals my travel pics and posts them on their blogs; if it was an image of me they were stealing for commercial purposes I'd be on the verge of a heart attack!!! Don't let them get away with it. Send 'em a fake official lawyer's letter if you need to.

[40 · Posted by maureen · July 26, 2008 at 03:59 PM]

I just bought your book! I can't wait till it gets here!!! :)

[41 · Posted by airlie · July 26, 2008 at 04:14 PM]

Scary! How can they do that? Ring up and ask for a lifetime supply! And hope that it really does taste great!

[42 · Posted by Monica · July 26, 2008 at 06:43 PM]

You can disable the right-click on your pictures so that they can't save like that anymore. I think they could still take a screenshot and crop the pic out though.

[43 · Posted by Erin · July 26, 2008 at 08:31 PM]

Ack! I can't believe they just stole your picture like that. You know in a completely backhanded dodgy way it's quite the compliment to have pictures so amazing that they got STOLEN. Ohhh yeah, how many people can say that?
PS Love the cat .gif

[44 · Posted by cranky · July 27, 2008 at 07:06 AM]

Until you work out the details on how to watermark, no right click etc etc why not just post a link to the website on your blog? Then your readership can bombard them with emails too! Imagine how many emails they'd get! LOL!

[45 · Posted by Moa · July 27, 2008 at 01:08 PM]

That really sucks. The "cease and desist" letter sounded like a good idea? Let us know how this proceeds.

PS: I'm reading your book now, it's fantastic!

[46 · Posted by MB · July 27, 2008 at 05:06 PM]

Those thieving bastards have no right to steal your image to promote some foul diet tea that probably doesn't do anything other than lighten your wallet.

I would demand that they pay (and pay big) for using your pictures.

It is sad that so many people who have been successful losing weight the hard way end up in this situation. There should be better laws and they should have to pay up.

[47 · Posted by Colin · July 27, 2008 at 05:34 PM]

At least it's not being used to sell colon cleansers or something.

BTW, on your suggestion, I went ahead and grabbed the domain "fitnessdeathmarch". Thanks! :)

[48 · Posted by The Laddie · July 27, 2008 at 07:03 PM]

Well if I got the company right they are a dirty bunch check the link out.

http://www.complaintsboard.com/complaints/ultra-lean-green-tea-drink-c70889.html

It's a common thing to search google images for diet and before and after and then take the image. They really don't care who's rep they are hurting not even the fact its really not the truth.

Well I would say that you should go and see a lawyer. I am no expert but since you have a book you can seek damages on lost sales and giving you a bad name.

Regardless of the reason the law is on your side on this. You've been stolen!

[49 · Posted by dg · July 27, 2008 at 08:44 PM]

moa - oooh thank you very much :)

maureen - woohoo! i hope you enjoy it :)

all you groovy groovers - thanks very much again!!! i've been away this weekend so a bit behind here.

[50 · Posted by giyen · July 28, 2008 at 06:57 AM]

That is soooo slimy! I have been debating whether or not to put before/after pictures up but seeing that gives me second thoughts!

Those people are right up there with the folks that just sent me a check in the mail for $4,000 but first would I please just wire them some money to cover taxes and fees.

Yeesh!

[51 · Posted by supachick · July 28, 2008 at 01:47 PM]

Wow - I must be really naive - I had no idea that companies would fake this sort of stuff! By the way - I've been reading bits and pieces of your blog over the last year but I'm not sure if I've ever commented. I've now just read your book which I thoroughly enjoyed. I posted about it on my blog, if you want to have a read. Oh and I've just started the pushups challenge too - picked this up from somewhere else - and then was amazed to see it on your blog!

[52 · Posted by Tamakikat · July 29, 2008 at 10:14 AM]

OMG. Here I was saying what lazy a**holes and then I realized I sometimes use photos off the internet too. Not of people but of things and landscapes. I am a lazy a**hole by my own description. F*uck!

[53 · Posted by Ellen · July 29, 2008 at 10:18 AM]

So that's what a "50 pound" loss looks like! We all knew you hadn't really lost 175 pounds ;P

What a bunch of jerks for the stealing of the pictures. But, srsly, they could have at least gotten the info about your tremendous success right!!

[54 · Posted by Tamakikat · July 29, 2008 at 10:46 AM]

So when is it OK to use photos off the internet? Never? Like me do you use photos off the net for your own blog? Note: I use photos of things or landscapes and put a note on my posts to say they're from the internet. I don't use them to make money.

[55 · Posted by John's Weight Loss Blog · July 30, 2008 at 03:25 AM]

Oh man, on the one hand how cool that you have had that kind of success, at this point I can only hope someone will want to steal my before and afters. Yet, I know what you mean and why you want it taken down. You put in a lot harder work than just drinking tea.

[56 · Posted by Claire · July 31, 2008 at 05:08 PM]

Dirty lying feckers!
oooooh, I'd be tempted to put all the weight back on again and just go and sit on them.

(Not really, but you know... maybe a little)

[57 · Posted by Beckie · July 31, 2008 at 05:45 PM]

DG, I've been away so long, forgive me?

What an outrage!I don't know whether to laugh or be furious at the dodgy company that stole yer pics.

I'd have slandered their name on every health forum I could find by now..

[58 · Posted by Chrissy (the Curvy Catholic :-) ) · August 01, 2008 at 05:01 PM]

That really sucks! :-(

But on the brighter side, anyone who's at all familiar with your story and has seen your photos will do a double-take when they see that, think "No way Dietgirl would do that!" and check your blog for confirmation.

You have a reputation for doing exactly the OPPOSITE of this kind of cheap weight-loss stunt, so hopefully this incident will backfire bigtime on those sleazemeisters!!

[59 · Posted by Sarah · August 03, 2008 at 05:37 PM]

DG, put up a bit of your own small-print on your blog along the lines of..."The photographs of S. Reid on this website are copyright. Their use is strictly prohibited without the express written permission of S. Reid. By using them on a website or other promotional material to advertise or promote product you agree to pay the usage fee of £1,000 per photo." Then send them an invoice for £2,000.00 and say that as they used the photos they have tacitly agreed to the small print -which is pretty much what they do if the complaints board is anything to go by.

Lovin' your work!

[60 · Posted by laurie · August 03, 2008 at 08:58 PM]

I am so naive that I never thought of that as a way to steal photos. Thieves, shady thieves.

[61 · Posted by fd · August 04, 2008 at 10:16 AM]

OMG that's awful! get some lawyers. Surely your book publishers have lawyers that could get after them? am horrified on your behalf.

[62 · Posted by Eli Em · May 29, 2009 at 12:58 AM]

I am so sorry, I know they are taking your pics and its wrong, but the bit about you looking forward to the morning drink and it being so yummy made me roll on the floor and wee myself (not at the same time) LOL LOL LOL

[63 · Posted by Eli Em · May 29, 2009 at 01:12 AM]

And the bit about being disgusted at the fact they said you only had lost 47 pounds. You are too funny! I am not joking, if I need to really laugh, which is great for one's well being, your site is always guaranteed to get me going. Heh, I have actually left the link to my progress pics as my URL, maybe the evil tea drinkers might spot me and make me their next star. If they said to you only lost 47 pounds, what will they say to me? "Started drinking delicious tea yesterday and you can almost see a difference hence the pics, ?"
Your book and website is a hoot, and a great inspiration for all. Keep it going!