A Picture is Worth…

We’ve all heard the saying “A picture is worth a thousand words.”

But if it doesn’t belong to you, those words may eventually come to you in the form of an email and money owed for its real worth and more!

In the wake of several bloggers receiving cease orders to take pictures down from their blog, and one blogger under the threat of a lawsuit as well, images are being ripped off blog pages by panicked bloggers whose only crime was to post a promo given to them by an author or authors tour company.

What’s going on? Seems celebrity images from google search and other images are commonly used to make book teasers.

Seriously? Yeah.

What about those hot Jack teasers?

Safe. Ever wonder why I use the same images over and over?

First because it’s not easy to find men hot enough to pass for Jack on stock photo sites ;)

And second because when I do, I pay for my images and scour free stock photo sites for others—and this cuts into the amount I have available to use.

Lisa Gillis and Rock Star Read teasers are safe.

Here’s a hint to make sure you know your blog is safe.

Don’t upload teasers. Always link to them from the author’s website. (Right click, copy img url)

I don’t expect bloggers to just take my word that I’m responsible with my teasers. This is the reason one entire page of my website is devoted to teasers. It lets you choose the ones you like best and most importantly gives you peace of mind because it takes the liability from you and puts it on me.

Based on the 9th circuit court of appeal ruling in Perfect 10 v. Amazon:

When a site like Google hosts html that instructs a users browser to point to (i.e. “display”) an image hosted by a third party, the first party (e.g., Google) does not violate either the copyright owners right to copy or their right to display as those terms are defined under US copyright law. Like Google’s actions with regard to full size images in Perfect 10 v. Google and Perfect 10 v. Amazon, the web page included html that instructed a browser to point to an image at a third party site. Under US copyright law, this action does not violate the display right of the copyright holder and it does not violate their right to copy.

By never uploading the image to your server or website, you are not violating any US copyright law.

A picture is worth…

Speaking of pictures worth and teasers… an excerpt from Rising Sun, Half Moon, Rock Stars because we all know if there is anything I love more than teasers, it's excerpts!

“What bands do you listen to? Influence you?”

      Jules laughed and pretended to look at a nonexistent watch. “I was told this interview was only twenty minutes. That answer will take all day.”

      They both laughed, and Jules named off Led Zeppelin, Jefferson Aeroplane, Queen, Bob Dylan, David Bowie, The Doors, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin… “I LOVE KISS… oh and, have you heard ‘Don’t fear the Reaper’, just came out by Blue Oyster Cult? And ‘Love Hurts’, by a band called Nazareth. OH, OH, you’ve heard Foghat’s ‘Slow Ride’ right? I LOVE it. Pink Floyd, can’t forget. Um, RUSH, Eric Clapton, The Eagles, The Stones, of course, Aerosmith, Alice Cooper…”

      Jules began again going through the alphabet, not wanting to miss a band. Besides, as long as she was rattling off bands, the closer the end of the interview was with fewer embarrassing questions.

      At least, it was her plan, but when she paused for a breath between Lynyrd Skynyrd and John Lennon solo, the young woman slid a photograph across the table. The black and white picture had been pulled from a stack of prints extracted from a folder.

      Clamming up, Jules leaned forward. She knew this routine. She would be shown a picture of Dan helping her off of the bus, or Ken backstage, making her taste his drink, or some other innocent something, totally out of context. Journalists seemed to love shocking a response during interviews, to glitz up their creation.

      But the picture resting on the table was of her and Matt.

      In a clear shot, the photographer had been lucky enough to be at the precise angle, and click the shutter at the precise three seconds needed to end up with this picture. Matt’s tongue to her cheek.

      She clearly remembered the day. A fresh snow had fallen. They were loading the bus that morning and snowballs were flying like crazy from all directions. Except for Matt, they were all born-and-bred California kids, so snow was a major deal. Candi and Dan had never seen snow until this tour. Jules had traveled some with her parents, but the snow destinations she could remember were few and far between.

      “Hey Jules,” Matt called. She had gotten too cold and was abandoning the snowball fight to board the bus and warm up. At this hail from the husky voice she loved, she paused just before taking the first step up. “Jules!”

      Unsuspectingly, she turned into a perfect pitch. Matt’s large snowball slammed into the side of her face, painfully so, and broke on impact.

      Her yelp brought a remorseful Matt running. He squeezed her into a hug even as he couldn’t stop laughing. “Oh, VooJu! You should’ve seen your face. Wish I had a picture!”

      How ironic!

      The shock faded some, and high on hysteria, she quipped a line from a sitcom they had taken on as a private joke. “Oh, my nose!” Her exclamation had modulated the girl on the show perfectly, whose nose had been broken by an accidental football throw. She flicked some of the snow from her shoulder onto him and then hit him for good measure.

      And that’s when it had happened.

      Laughing as he begged an apology, he’d licked the remaining snow from her face!

      As a chorus of “ews” and “raunchys” had chimed, she’d slapped at him again and stepped on the bus. Apparently, whoever the photographer had been hadn’t been on the bus. Because when Matt had boarded, feeling bad about hitting him, she’d broken her public affection stance and told him there was snow on his mouth…

      Jules tapped her fingers on the glossy photo. “Huh. Good one. Matt is such a clown. Do you mind if I keep this? I’d love to blackmail him with it.” Here she laughed.

      While she was still congratulating herself on her answer, another photo came her way, and she picked it up. Matt and her dancing. Their only physical contact was Matt’s hands holding her waist flush to his. Her arms were slightly raised as if in rhythm to the song. Although his tongue was in his mouth in this picture, their lust for one another was obvious in their eyes.

      An after party. Jules struggled to place it, but one hotel suite was pretty much the same as any other. She was at a loss for words, because she’d never known they looked that way together. Perfect. In love.

      Spellbound she continued to stare and quietly admitted, “A picture is worth a thousand words I suppose…”

above excerpt from Lisa Gillis' Six Silver Strings Series: Rising Sun, Half Moon, Rock Stars