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A Photograher in Georgia Stealing Images
So few days ago, with the help of Dean Johnson, we got this guy Paul Sontag aka Spartan Photography (Buford, Georgia) OFF modelmayhem. Someone said he was kicked off MM 2 years ago but manage snuck back in till now :-) He is still active on Facebook recruiting models by using photos that are not his. There is now a Facebook group dedicated to exposing him. Here are some findings posted on there this morning  Link to full size for reading http://imgur.com/o8wWAdg  Link to full size for reading http://imgur.com/EOll3dO  Link to full size for reading http://imgur.com/QP2bgcc  Link to full size for reading http://imgur.com/AOuvUip Apparently this has been going on for a while, the above article was written a year ago Here you can see he is smart enough to flip the images to avoid being found by Google Images Search   some of his links FLICKR https://www.flickr.com/photos/spartan_photography am prettty sure stephy c photos on there are stolen FB https://www.facebook.com/paul.sontag.35 https://www.facebook.com/spartanphotographyga https://www.facebook.com/sontag.paul.1 https://www.facebook.com/spartanphotogr … dmagazine/ https://www.linkedin.com/pub/paul-sontag/54/4a7/b32 https://twitter.com/spartan_photo His mug shot http://georgia.arrests.org/Arrests/Paul_Sontag_8414631/ PS I do not think this is outing because he is no longer on here. Sep 21 15 06:04 am Link Rick on Facebook has some good ideas. We need your help IMO the best way to bury this guy is to get the word out in various public formats. Once Google picks him up in the various search engines, it's going to be there for-freaking-ever. Possible examples on how to do this: 1) Anyone in here a member of Model Mayhem? Now that he has been banned from the site, it is not outing anyone if you start a thread in the Forum in a "Beware" thread stating exactly what he's done and why he got tossed. 2) Know anyone who writes blogs about the modeling industry? Yup, have them post a story on this. 3) Know anyone in mainstream media who might do a newspaper article/tv news story about this? Say someone writing for his local paper for instance? 4) Contact all those who's images he's stolen and have them send Facebook a "Take Down Notification" under the copyright infringement terms of service. Facebook actually takes that sh*t seriously. 5) Models or Photographers: If you have your own website, or are on Tumblr, Twitter, or other social media sites, mention it there. Eventually Google will also include these various online comments in their search. Anyone else have any suggestions I might have overlooked in how to get the word out effectively? Jump in. Sep 21 15 06:29 am Link Sep 21 15 06:50 am Link There are MANY other examples. Unfortunately, his primary source of photos are orphaned works - photos that have been shared on pinterest many times, or are of questionable origin on east European escort and porn sites. Sep 21 15 09:58 am Link Pretty much what Ed said and more  Sep 21 15 05:57 pm Link lmao links to group dedicated to his demise? Sep 21 15 06:22 pm Link Gerardo Martinez wrote: add me on FB https://www.facebook.com/iscaturday Sep 21 15 07:25 pm Link Sep 23 15 05:44 pm Link How about just taking up a collection to pay the local mafia to just break his kneecaps. Sep 23 15 06:04 pm Link I wouldn't call a guy who steals images a photographer. Sep 23 15 06:08 pm Link He is not just stealing images he is stealing idenitites. we already have one FB account pretend to be a playboy staff removed. we suspect this page is a sockpupet account https://www.facebook.com/LeaJansenPortfolio page https://www.facebook.com/LeaJansen Sep 24 15 07:56 am Link   Sep 24 15 07:56 am Link Jerry Nemeth wrote: He's a kleptographer. Sep 24 15 11:22 pm Link Jerry Nemeth wrote: Piece of shit seems like a better description. Sep 25 15 04:17 am Link More evidences on this blog. Including few active MM members and Playboy stolen photos  https://scumtag.wordpress.com/ Sep 26 15 08:51 am Link Found out he shoot for Raw Talent Clothing As of today 09/28/2015 his name is on their site  http://www.rawtalentclothing.net/Raw-Ta … phers.html Sep 28 15 12:13 am Link Using our VETS to lure girls Over at http://paul-sontag.blogspot.com Wendy Watkins wrote This POS took pics of my daughter for WOUNDED WARRIOR calendar never saw the pics there was no calendar or monies paid as promised LIAR!! THEIF!! Using our VETS to steal pics you are disgusting
Sep 28 15 07:55 pm Link If he has stolen images where the photographer was smart enough to register his/her copyright, that would be another way to go after him (although unfortunately deadbeats usually have no real assets). Sep 28 15 09:30 pm Link Ripoffreport.com is a good start, make sure his name is reported. Sep 29 15 10:34 am Link Light and Lens Studio wrote: If we have to depend on a cumbersome legal system, this might be the only solution. Too bad this guy has not been caught, and prosecuted yet, by our cumbersome legal system. Of course, making the burden of proof so "cumbersome", protects innocent people too. I really don't know the solution, unless the above suggestion works, and an innocent person doesn't get his kneecaps broken. Sep 29 15 11:03 am Link This time he stole from photographer AdPhoto Design https://www.facebook.com/adphotojon and the model is Caitlyn Christensen https://www.facebook.com/modelcaitlynchristensen He even left the original logo in  Sep 29 15 05:40 pm Link This guy is an aggressively sick GWC...wonder why? Yes, more sickness reading those rich experience BIOS which a single look can tell the story. Im aware and its a fair reason cant insult anyone in forums. But for my own curiosity on time here in forums lower everything I knew about photography All I wanted to see how far the guy would go. Indeed BTW his pattern could end up as the above= No surprises You tell me you cant post your fine fashion photography works cause is copy righted On the other hand he's port is horrible beyond words I know everything goes on MM but supporting the obvious Its pure sickness. Sometimes it help to speak out Just me H Sep 29 15 07:48 pm Link Ed Selby over at http://paul-sontag.blogspot.com/ posted this today A model Kassandra Krasnow were scammed by Paul Stontag into shooting for Wounded Warrior Calendar This is the FAKE letter he used to convinced her into shoot with him. From: Paul Sonntag [email protected] After learning about Paul's lies, Kassandra emailed Wounded Warrior Project to confirm if there was such calendar project, and here is their reply You can read more at http://paul-sontag.blogspot.com/2015/09/wounded-warrior-lies.html Sep 30 15 07:20 am Link Sandra Vixen wrote: Sep 30 15 10:28 am Link Breaking this a$$hole's knee caps is looking better and better. For using an org like WWP to scam models, perhaps his arms should be broken and stuffed where the sun doesn't shine. Sometimes the justice system just falls way short on justice. Time this creeper got what's coming to him. Sep 30 15 10:39 am Link I don't endorse violence. Not even to him. What I would love to see are people telling his story on their blog, FB timeline, twitter, ECT.. We need more links about him for Google to index. This will mess him up with his career as a photographer. Sep 30 15 02:11 pm Link There's a pretty clear image of Denise Milani in his "Magazine" facebook profile One that has the original photo mark cropped out -  The original mark is on the lower left bottom edge (in the non-cropped version) and is "denisemilani.com" Sep 30 15 02:41 pm Link This time Paul Sontag stole image from a model in the UK. Her name is Abieey Eardley. http://www.starnow.co.uk/AbieeyEardley The photographer is Jack Russell also in the UK. His MM#2443119 https://www.modelmayhem.com/2443119  Notice how Spartan Photography covered Jack Russell's watermark Sep 30 15 05:06 pm Link I wasn't going to post in this thread for my own reasons, but I will at this point if only to point out one or two things and ask the single most relevant question - - - [aside from any infringement or any alleged fraud] 1) Removing the watermark from someone's work is a breach of the US's Copyright Act @ 17 USC §§1202, 1203 and is actionable with or without the image being registered. Such a claim attracts statutory damages. This would even be actionable by the UK photographer mentioned though, unless he actually had his images registered in the US, he could not chase up the infringement as such. 2) Adding his own mark when he re-distributes / re-publishes the images is likely a breach of the Lanham Act [15 USC] in so much as he then is incorporating a false statement of origin. the question then is Why aren't a few [at least some] of the rights owners suing this guy? EVEN IF you can't get any money out of him you could get an injunction and if he breaches that injunction he could be locked up. As the facts and claims are effectively the same in each instance more than one rights owner could be named as the plaintiff [joint action by joinder] and all the claims combined into one complaint and one court action allowing the cost of any such suit to be split amongst the plaintiffs. Whinging and whining about this on the Internet is And so, to the bottom line here. Considering all the time, effort and work apparently going into this thread and all the other non-MM "stuff" like dedicated blogs and passing all the comments back and forth and all the hand wringing and Eeore style "woe is me" seemingly going on, I have probably the most straightforward opinion of all this and it boils down to - - - "PUT UP OR SHUT UP!" Studio36 AN ASIDE: The State of Georgia does not have a right of publicity statute but they have established a common law right based on misappropriation of someone's name or likeness [i]"...without consent and for financial gain of the appropriator ..."[i] leading to the potential for those models involved to also bring suit on that basis. Though $$$ damages are only available to a limited extent there is also the availability of injunction. Interestingly the way that the right has arisen and developed in the courts in that state is not based strictly on "commercial" use but rather on the concept of financial gain and apparently not limited to a commercial enterprise. Unlike the rights holder's federal based claims that would have to go to the federal courts, the persons pictured [the models] would take this up in the state courts. SEE FOR DISCUSSION: http://www.dmlp.org/legal-guide/georgia-right-publicity Oct 01 15 02:30 am Link you misunderstand. I am not singing to him to stop. I am singing to uncle Google to get him index. from what i hear he is broke and have tons of creditors chasing after him it cost money to sue. no one have wanting to step up yet. in the big picture (pun) he is not selling stolen works. he is using others works to lure young new models ... maybe to gain paid works too. I think this story is ripe for the press media. maybe for a slow day Oct 01 15 03:10 am Link barepixels wrote: Ahhh well yes it does. But it's the American way. Oct 01 15 03:22 am Link Paul Sontag uses a LOT of orphan works (photos with no discernible creator) in his Spartan Photography profile. He is also fond of snagging photos from eastern European escort and stripper websites. Whenever possible, the identifiable model and/or photographer has been notified of his misappropriation of their work. Unfortunately, most of them don't respond to our messages, or, as one photographer did, don't care because it happens to them all the time and there's nothing they can really do. The goal is to make sure that models in our area are aware that the photos he professes to be his own are, mostly, not his, and that he uses the typical "I shoot for Playboy" BS to get new/inexperienced models to shoot with him. Ultimately, of course, we'd love to see him banished from Facebook for his repeated photo thievery, multiple profiles, and even fake profiles. Oct 01 15 05:34 am Link studio36uk wrote: You are exactly right, which is why I remind the people involved in this to never post in public any rumor or innuendo, to only post factual information, and use evidence instead of conjecture. Oct 01 15 05:38 am Link studio36uk wrote: Am not scare nor worry. We have tons of hard evidences against him. Bring on the law suit LOL Oct 01 15 09:16 am Link Photography by Ed Selby wrote: Actually, most of the the 'orphan works' that he uses probably doesn't pass the legal litmus test for being an orphaned work. Many people mistakingly think that just because they can't find the photographer on Google that it becomes an orphaned work. That's faaaaar from the truth and the intent of the law. Oct 01 15 12:18 pm Link This is his istudio account http://www.istudio.com/463329 There he claims he had been shooting for 30 years Oct 10 15 06:39 am Link The only good news is it appears he hasn't used that account for two years. Oct 10 15 06:28 pm Link Sadly..........this is very common in the digital world. Trying to police it, is a full time job, if you have many images on the web. Oct 12 15 12:15 pm Link
Post hidden on Dec 11, 2015 01:23 am
Reason: other Comments: links to known extortion site Oct 16 15 05:43 pm Link He is stealing picture and removing the photog watermark again this time at http://www.fashionworldmodels.com/4126  the original image with watermark is here Jessi Lee Nugent http://www.listal.com/viewimage/7606196h Dec 10 15 02:07 pm Link |
