Error when trying to edit metadata of JPG from shutterstock

[SimonM6]

Hi,

In Bridge 8 on Windows or MAC :

We have sometimes issues when we try to edit some metadata of JPG pictures from Shutterstock.

There is a pop-up telling that edit of metadata did not worked.

Do you know what could be the reason?

Thank you for your help!

Simon

[Daniel E Lane]

Shutterstock is a stock image site. Most likely, they have locked the metadata so it can not be changed since they hold the rights to the image. Any changes to the metadata you are making is altering the data of the image which you are only using with their permission. Changing that data in any way is actually an infringement of the copyrights on the image that is owned either by Shutterstock or the original photographer. In other words, you should not be changing any of that metadata anyway.

[Stephen Marsh]

Shutterstock is a stock image site. Most likely, they have locked the metadata so it can not be changed since they hold the rights to the image.

Hi Daniel, I am not sure if this is even possible? An entire file can be marked as locked/read only at the OS level, however I have never heard of only the metadata component being locked. Do you have any reference for this or do you mean by “most likely” that this is this just conjecture?

[Daniel E Lane]

Its a most likely conjecture since I have not seen the actual images to check them out. But there is software out there that allows you to lock metadata on files as well.

[Lumigraphics]

Shutterstock has regular JPEGs and there is no provision in that format to lock anything. PDF is different, it can be locked for editing.

[Stephen Marsh]

I have seen this in the forums a number of times but not directly related to stock images. I have also had such problems when using some scripts.

There are usually two fixes, either using ExifTool to rebuild corrupt metadata or totally remove the offending tag or group – or sometimes it is solved simply re-saving the file as is. Something appears to get corrupted in the XMP metadata or other metadata.

[exitmichael]

I had the same problem.

Try opening it in a text editor, and look for the marker PNG.

It might be a png masquerading as a jpg.