Iloilo Government Website Infringes on Copyright – Uses Photos without Permission

Here is Story #3 of the Copyright Violations I caught during the recent Dinagyang Festival 2009

I wasnt too hot on going after the Iloilo Government website but If the government didnt understand what copyright is how can we be protected? And like the 2 newspapers in Iloilo there is no gray area.. its either you infringed on someones rights or you didnt.. and in this case it is clear as day. The best Tourism Event in the Philippines has also become the Country’s best place to get violated by copyright infringement.

Here is  Iloilo.gov.ph Website

You would think that the government would be a government of the people, by the people, for the people.. protecting the pe0ple and their rights.. right? but maybe the government also needs to be enlightened that photographers are people too and that they have basic rights just like any other person on the street.

Both photos on the top of the image are from my gallery. The girls dancing with the Sto Nino and the guy looking forward on the upper right hand of ilonggos celebrate the Dinagyang Festival. The girls dancing are on the main photo.net.ph festival page but i have temporarily taken down the main gallery since loads for the past few days have been intense due to traffic from the earlier posts about The News Today violates Photographers Copyright and The Visayan Daily Headlines Violates Copyright of Photographer

Is it that hard to Credit the Photographer or ask permission? Watermarks are placed to let you know who owns the photo… and you should respect that basic right. Use of Photo would have been ok if they asked permission or even credited the owner since it

is used to promote the Dinagyang Festival but erasing or masking the watermark is a totally different ballgame, there is malice to conceal the truth.

Article Title: Dinagyang Festival 2009

Written by Melinda C. Defensor

Thursday, 22 January 2009

I have been shooting the Dinagyang Festival since 2007 and trying to promote Tourism thru Photography, I spend my own money, time and effort to travel around the country to take photos and show them for other to see the beauty of the Philippines and in this case, the energy and intensity of Dinagyang Festival… and why I have come back every year since I discovered and was moved by the Festival…. and this is how I am rewarded? The News Today, The Visayan Daily

headlines and the Iloilo government website used my photos without permission and not even crediting me for my photos… not even a link back to my gallery…. What to do now?

How do you teach people that are supposed to protect you and your rights if they themselves are guilty of violating these same rights?