# Have I now found an infringement of my copyright? ### … and now what?
### It seemed like fun to see what my photos would be used for Since I started blogging on the blockchain I have of course got to know Pixabay like many others. And although I never want to use someone else's photos for my blogs, I thought it would be fun to post a small number (8) of my own photos on Pixabay. I wanted to see what my photos would be used for. ### @katerinaramm reminded me An account was quickly created. The photos were uploaded quickly, and after that I haven't looked back. I had forgotten its existence again. Until I was reading a blog by @katerinaramm in which she interviewed a photographer who had achieved 1 million downloads.
*** ![winter3069735_1280.jpg](https://images.hive.blog/DQmSPSwbgS8PEpRpCavGtNaLeDN7JixFejJrT1MBRrqAuSk/winter-3069735_1280.jpg) ***
### Reversed Image Search I remembered uploading some photos to Pixabay as well and decided to run a reversed image search to see what my photos were used for in the two years they've been online. Whether they were downloaded at all. After all, not everyone is always interested in mainly dog photos, right? ### Raising my eyebrows I logged into my Pixabay account and saw that my photos were definitely downloaded. And one of the photos that has been downloaded over 2000 times is a photo of Rowan and Myla together in the snow. With the reversed image search I saw applications that I found funny, others that surprised me, and a few that made me raise my eyebrows. Funny to see at first… and my emotions made me think “WHAT FUN”, but that changed after the initial surprise had subsided into a, “Hmmm, do I like this?” ### I thought I also remembered that the photos you post on Pixabay may be used commercially. # But that they should NOT be used in an UNALTERED form, nor on physical products.
To be sure, I went to reread the license of Pixabay, and as far as I can interpret that, this is indeed really **NOT** allowed.
*** ![pixabay.JPG](https://images.hive.blog/DQmYwR7SdaFcPo88rMBmPUBw1bczYXX11oqrx7F2DEgT4vb/pixabay.JPG) ***

*** ![muurkalender december 2021.JPG](https://images.hive.blog/DQmbaj83bZ9MW136c3rRNF2i72KNeFx6XM9T8p2cnnGNYeQ/muurkalender%20december%202021.JPG) ***
### Rowan and Myla are the December dogs for a calender Intrigued, I searched again… but again I came across the same thing. The photo of Rowan and Myla that I am talking about is really being used in an unaltered form for a commercial product. It has been used as an image for the month of December in a calendar for the year 2021. And that is seriously NOT allowed according to the limited rules of Pixabay. ### They are also on a mug I came across the same photo on a commercial physical product during my search, but here they put a small frame around the photo and the photo was cropped, which would make it okay because the photo has been altered. ### Another Reversed Image Search This only made me more intrigued and I did a reversed image search on another photo I have on Pixabay. This time the picture of Gentle as a puppy. To my surprise, I came across this photo an awful lot of times in an unaltered form, on so many physical products. For example, I could order a duvet cover via alieexpress with that photo, a key ring, clothing, ... well, too many to mention. But everything in an unaltered form, and all physical products. OR would there be a catch in the sense of… You CAN get this as a physical product, but it is NOT YET on the website as a physical product?
*** ![dog3071189_1920.jpg](https://images.hive.blog/DQmVJj5AsM9aB7bH1yrtrqT3GkcS9E7nZ51cv8NDwDGVgcV/dog-3071189_1920.jpg) ***
### Selling puppies? I also came across the photo of Gentle on another website, which didn't make me happy at all. Namely a website that supposedly sells puppies? https://breedersofblueeyespomskys.com/premiumpuppies But hey, wait a minute… the use of that photo is misleading because the puppy in the photo is now a 10 year old dog and not at all for sale as a puppy. Still, she is pictured there in the "Premium Pups" category, priced at $ 3000 below her photo, and she is a "special order". What can I still do with this? That is totally misleading information that I would never have given permission for myself. And according to the limited rules of Pixabay, this is also NOT allowed. And they seemed to have even **COPYRIGHTED MY IMAGE???**
*** ![unknown.png](https://images.hive.blog/DQmPTxBjwo6pZyg5PzsY1u3phdBp9xp75rgVp37eqUvYdAe/unknown.png) ***
### Should anyone ever post photos on free stock photo sites? I've seriously questioned if it is wise to post your photos on Pixabay and other free stock photo sites like Pixabay. Because no matter how nice it is, there are also disadvantages. That is evident here again. I would have liked it to receive the corresponding appreciation for the photo of Rowan and Myla, which is now just used in a commercial product like a calendar, which is just depicted on a mug… other people who make money by using my photo. Which I have placed on Pixabay myself, but with which I could have made money myself? And the commercial usage for what the photo is used for now, is NOT allowed, but who is going to keep an eye on that? ### What way to go now? What rights do you actually have if you post a photo on Pixabay with the limited regulations that exist. And who controls what happens to the photos you post to Pixabay. Because a lot is allowed, but some things are clearly not allowed. Where is the boundary? And perhaps even more important to know… What can you do about it if you see that your photo is being used for things that are NOT allowed? # It is a vague border, a shadowy world, many rights, and few rights… But what is wisdom?