There is a site that is a picture and video search engine that tells everyone that it's cool to use anything you find on their site.
They even say USE OUR PICTURES FREE.

5 out of 9 of these pics are mine-

http://www.getfreegraphics.net/pictures/1/tree+habanero

The only way you can get your pics off their site is to individually find each picture of yours and send them the address of the pic on their site and they will supposedly block the pic from coming up.
With all the pics you have it might take a couple hundred years to get all the FREE pics blocked from their site.

That might be where the guy got your pics from.

I think they should have to ask permission to post any ones pics on their site.
My pics are supposed to be protected on Photobucket but their search engine can find the pics on any site I've ever posted a pic on I think.

Here is a link that might be useful: Picture Thieves

John,

I don't know who he is, but you're most certainly correct that it's wrong of him to be using your pics. I'll be glad to shoot the site an email regarding the removal of your pics.

Hope all is well with you, haven't seen many posts from you. I'm still enjoying the benefits of the great seeds I received from you years ago. 4th and 5th generations by now!!

Sandy

Smokemaster

http://blog.webcopyplus.com/2011/02/14/legal-lesson-learned-copywriter-pays-4000-for-10-photo/

Sandy- I appreciate you sending an email. Maybe he will begin to understand.

Hi John,

I just did a quick whois search for the domain owner. If the owner provided legit info when they registered the site, the person you're looking for is:

Aaron Grissom
81 se 16 ave apt d202
gainesville, FL 32601
US

Email aar6on67@gmail.com

If the info is false or he outright refuses to remove the image, contact his Registration Service Provider to complain about copyright infringement. They are providing his website hosting service so they can bring the hammer down on him. Most service providers take copyright infringement seriously. Here's their info:

Ecommerce, Inc., Email registars@ecommerce.com
800-861-9394
http://ecommerce.com

Here's the whois dump:

BUYNAGAVIPER.COM WHOIS
Registrant:
Aaron Grissom
81 se 16 ave apt d202
gainesville, FL 32601
US

Domain name: BUYNAGAVIPER.COM

Administrative Contact:
Grissom, Aaron Email aar6on67@gmail.com
81 se 16 ave apt d202
gainesville, FL 32601
US
+1.3526623562

Technical Contact:
Grissom, Aaron Email aar6on67@gmail.com
81 se 16 ave apt d202
gainesville, FL 32601
US
+1.3526623562

Registration Service Provider:
Ecommerce, Inc., Email registars@ecommerce.com
800-861-9394
http://ecommerce.com
UNLIMITED Storage Space, Monthly Transfer, and up-to 15 domains,
starting at $3.95!

FREE DOMAIN REGISTRATIONS WITH EVERY HOSTING ACCOUNT + FREE FEATURES
INCLUDED. ONLY AT ECOMMERCE.COM

Registrar of Record: TUCOWS, INC.
Record last updated on 16-Mar-2012.
Record expires on 17-Mar-2013.
Record created on 17-Mar-2011.

Domain servers in listed order:
NS18.IXWEBHOSTING.COM
NS17.IXWEBHOSTING.COM

Nice Ottawa, very nice.
Bruce

Thanks for all your work Ottawa. I will try contacting him one more time at this email. I have also posted a request similar to this on other forums and perhaps he will get the message. Several people have already emailed him.

You're very welcome John.

Thinking about it today, I thought I'd check out the "Buy these seeds at Crazy Hot Seeds!" link.

Turns out that site is owned by:

Jason Scott
1252 Enterprise
Jacksonville, Florida 89563
United States

Who curiously has the same email contact, aar6on67@gmail.com, as Aaron Grissom.

If I was a suspicious person... I'd think they are one and the same person using fake names / addresses when registering their sites. I could be wrong but if it looks like a duck...

His buynagaviper.com "blogging" site obviously isn't working for him as a store front, can't seem to find where he's actually selling anything. Funny that if I allow scripts to run in my browser, like most people, you get redirected to weight loss junk. Looks like he opened a web store front under crazyhotseeds.com.

You may want to contact them via the the crazyhotseeds.com site as well.

Just saying ;-)

OK John, I gotta get a life ;-))

Just for fun I started poking around looking for references to crazyhotseeds.com and came across a young lady in NY who lists crazyhotseeds.com under her contact info on Facebook.

If you don't get any response from Aaron Grissom or Jason Scott or who ever they are now from Florida, you can try contacting him/her via http://facebook.com/jessicatcollins.

Just like falling down the rabbit hole, curiouser and curiouser.

With all the fake/over-hyped "omfg government wants seeds dead" talk people are quick to forget (until they get ripped off) that selling seed like this is illegal...and almost all of that has to do with seed purity, age, and cleanliness.

It's mostly unenforced because it effects the home gardener, not the income farmer. Still, it's pretty wild-west out there with a lot of really unreliable crooks selling home-gathered seed spreading bacterial speck (and similar) all over the country.

Thanks again Ottawa - you are quite the detective. Makes you wonder what else they ( he/she) are up to. I'm awaiting a response from the sites host.

Right on nc-crn- and outrageous prices.

Thanks all it looks like your help has worked and the picture is down. This is what he/she posted on the site:

@John Fiedler- quit being a lil b**ch. Stop spamming the nice pepper forums out there. Today is the first day you have emailed me. You can stop your silly smear campaign.

( it was not the first day I mailed and the forum won't let me quote one word)

john and mike,
i think it is most heinous that these people are ripping off your pictures. they should be protected under some sort of intellectual property copywright law or something. good luck!

I dont get it ,I'd be flattered if some one used my pics.
You did post them so people could enjoy seeing them right?

Yep, that is where it gets fuzzy. If you post something to a public forum, do you have the rights to it? Either way however, just seems right that if someone asks them to stop using them, they should oblige. It should be right vs wrong and not legal vs illegal.
Bruce

Looking at pics on the internet is a lot different than using them to make money selling seeds at a very high price.

Why would I be flattered that some guy is laughing all the way to the bank because my pic sells his seeds?

So if it's raining outside and I see your hat and coat on a coat rack by the door,it's ok for me to grab them because I left mine at home...

My pics are a LOT different than John's works of art.

I've seen only a few of mine used by others so far.

These users only want the best for free.

The guy could at least given the photographer credit for taking the picture after asking to use it to sell their seeds.

Wow, things moved fast on this. Glad to hear he/she removed your pics. I'd be leery though; he/she will probably be up to no-good again, especially when reacting like a little kid with their comment.

Well, thanks again for all of the support I received. Based on the stuff Ottawa found I would not guess at what else they are up to.

The original photographer maintains copyright as long as he wants.

Commercial use by others is illegal without owner's consent.

Simple and straightforward.