Artist fought back internet theft with humor

 Few days ago, I discovered a internet site called “Toronto Property Organization  ”torontoproperty.org/ lifted two of my photos from my flickr account and used on their home page without my consent.

 Since I joined Flickr, often I received requests to use my photos. One year I even granted <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 />Toronto City Hall to use my photo as their Holiday card for free .In most cases if they were using my photos for non-commercial use. I would let them use them free of charge only if they asked first. However, I dislike how this one just took my photos without even ask or credit me for the photos. After I emailed this company and asked them either to remove it or paid me. I never received any reply.

One of my flickr friend suggested since this site was using my photos by directly linking at my flickr photos: I could just replaced those photos with something else, something not what they expected!

Yesterday, after searching my many photos I have store in my computer, I replace them with one of a hospital bed photo and another of a shot of the cemetery with a no dogs allowed sign. Hope they like them!

Update

After I wrote about this incident at the flickr group, “Toronto”,  other photographers started to replaced theirs with more amusing ones and by 8pm last night this site has removed all the photos both from their home and contact page with Youtube videos.