Antique and Vintage Mechanical Clocks

Some time ago, I was browsing a local online for-sale site looking for antique and vintage clocks when I spotted a Mauthe Westminster chime mantel clock for sale. From the photo, it looked familiar—too familiar.

Why? Because the seller was using my photo.

The seller had the very same clock model for sale, but instead of taking his own picture, he had “borrowed” mine straight from my blog. In doing so, he committed two fundamental errors. First, he used a protected image without my permission. Second, he misrepresented his own listing by passing off my photo as a picture of the clock he was selling.

I reached out to the seller and explained that my images are copyright-protected. He argued that unless it explicitly states “copyrighted,” he was free to use any image he found online. That is a common misconception—and completely wrong. After I made it clear I would report him to the site administrators, he removed the photo.

Here’s the important part: a photo or image is automatically protected by copyright from the moment it is created. You don’t need to stamp it, watermark it, or register it. Using someone else’s image without permission—whether in full or in part—can be copyright infringement. Just because something is on the internet doesn’t mean it’s free to use. If an image is truly free to use, it will say so clearly, usually with wording like “public domain” or through a Creative Commons license that specifies the conditions of use.

This issue isn’t just about sellers on classified sites—it’s a reminder for all bloggers. Copyright applies not only to photographs but also to:

• Text – Blog posts, articles, essays, and even short reviews are protected. Copy-pasting without attribution is plagiarism and copyright infringement. If you use another person’s work, put it in quotation marks and clearly credit the original author.
• Graphics and artwork – Logos, infographics, and digital art are covered by copyright unless explicitly released by the creator.
• Videos and audio clips – Embedding from an official source (like YouTube) is fine, but downloading and re-uploading someone else’s work is not.
• Music – Using copyrighted songs in videos or podcasts without a license can quickly get you into legal trouble. On YouTube, for instance, this can lead to content being removed or, for serious infringements, legal action.
• Scans from books or magazines – Even partial scans may be protected, especially if they represent a substantial part of the work.

But here’s the frustrating truth: even when someone uses your work without permission, the effort to enforce your rights often outweighs the outcome. You can send “takedown” notices (sometimes the threat is sufficient), file complaints with hosting platforms, or even hire a lawyer, but in many cases, the person who copied your work faces no real consequences. Unless the infringement is on a large scale or tied to significant financial gain, most offenders get nothing more than a warning—or at worst, their post removed. For individual creators and bloggers, that makes pursuing action costly, time-consuming, and frankly discouraging.

The simple rule of thumb: if you don’t know whether you’re allowed to use it, don’t use it. When in doubt, ask permission, look for royalty-free sources, or create your own content.

For me, it’s simple—almost all the images on this blog are mine, taken by me, and used for good reason. They’re part of my work, my stories, and my collection. Any other photos appear with permission, and I always credit the creator in the caption. On occasion, I’ve used AI-generated images, but I’ve since realized they don’t contribute meaningfully to my work. Respecting copyright is not just about following the law; it’s about respecting the effort and creativity of others.