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olive11251
Known Participant
August 26, 2025
Question

Copyright infringement

  • August 26, 2025
  • 4 replies
  • 5759 views

After finding so many images with the Adobe Acrobat reader logo or a PS QR code attached to them, there is nw an editing option on them, it leaves me questioning Adobe's ethics and their support of the arts.  They are either QR boxes you click to edit an image in PS or Adobe Acrobat.  I have tried calling Adobe out on this and no one has responded.  How is it the biggest software photography, graphic, and web development company feels that copyright infringement is okay?

 
There should NEVER be an editing option on ANY PHOTOGRAPHY anywhere, period.  
Please review the Federal Copyright laws, because this is outright fingrinement.  They are encouraging copyright infringement. There is not even a warning that the content you are about to edit may be copyright protected.  
 
Some of us in the industry have spent years on training, education, and you are now making it impossible with this new option to even track our images down to file infringement.  Some of us are exclusive Getty image artists that can not even use Ai to edit with, some of us are published artists, why are you robbing our rights as photographers, graphic designers and web developers our own Federal rights? 

I would highly suggest you change this option immediately as many in the photography world are considering class action suits (which they should), and now not even posting to their social media of their materials or clients.

Either way someone with further reach than myself needs to address this. 

I do not have the reach online to make a big impact but, I will do so and I will be contacting a lot that do including larger companies, blogs, and artists. This is by far illegal and you are not standing behind your artists rights!  

Attached is just two examples I have found and obtained the rights to share these to stop this nonsense. 

    4 replies

    E
    ExUSA
    Genius
    September 5, 2025

    And somebody cried to PetaPixel about this.

     

    https://petapixel.com/2025/09/04/adobes-chrome-extension-makes-stealing-watermarked-photos-easy/

    O
    olive11251Author
    Known Participant
    September 5, 2025

    WOW, some people feel this to be important whiles other may not.  But to be a keyboard warrior and belittle people and their views, why couldn't you just move on?  We have enough negative in our world yet some feel the need to add to it. 

      L
      Adobe Employee
      Leonard_Rosenthol
      Adobe Employee
      August 28, 2025

      Does the image contain any machine-readable information, such as EXIF, IPTC, XMP or Content Credentials that Adobe could read to determine that your images are indeed "copyright protected"?   If so, I will be happy to work with our engineering teams to respect that information.

      O
      olive11251Author
      Known Participant
      August 28, 2025

      Yes, I would think so.  It even works on Getty images, removing their watermarks. It removes mine and the others I have tested.  Mine and Getty's are watermarked.  How can Adobe allow such blanant infringement and to top it off on the largest Stock Photography site in the world?  This should never had been released to the public since 90% of them do not even know what copyright infringement is.  
      I spoke with and Adobe rep again this morning, a front end worker, that had NO clue what copyright infringement is or was, I asked to speak to a supervisor and was told I could not.  Attached you will find many examples of how it totally changes the image or copies it to make it the editors image so to speak robbing all of us that have years invested in our craft, gear, and education. 
      There is no warning stating that the image you are about to edit may be copyright protected, it goes directly to Adobe express (which I do NOT have on any of my systems, devices or phone. 
      The Getty one, I am sure if I sat long enough to learn the program I could have removed it all. I am certain Getty would not be happy to hear of any of this either.  Which I will be contacting them also this week.  So far I have thousands of artists angered over this and most have consulted leagal teams and possibly a class action suit. 

      L
      Adobe Employee
      Leonard_Rosenthol
      Adobe Employee
      August 28, 2025

      So I checked on Getty, and yes, images on Getty Images have standard machine readable information (XMP) that very clearly states the ownership and licensing for the image.  I agree that Adobe's tool should be checking for that and warning users about it - if not (when relevant) outright preventing it.   And I am in contact with the relevant engineering team about it.

       

      However, I would need to see one of your images to confirm whether the same is true for your images.  And if not, what you would need to do for them to also be correctly identified.

       

      FYI: Visual watermarking is a nice technique for human->human communication about your ownership/copyright of an image, but it is not something that our software can use.  That is why the image need machine readable information such as that used by Getty (and others).

      jane-e
      Community Expert
      jane-eCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      August 27, 2025
      quote

      After finding so many images with the Adobe Acrobat reader logo or a PS QR code attached to them, there is nw an editing option on them, it leaves me questioning Adobe's ethics and their support of the arts.  They are either QR boxes you click to edit an image in PS or Adobe Acrobat.

       

      Images are showing up on social platforms that have a Ps QR code or an adobe button which when you click or scan takes you to Adobe express to have to have the ability to edit another persons images, remove backgrounds, removed elements you name it.

       

      By @olive11251

       

      I noticed that your first image has a FB logo in the upper left, so I looked on FB and do not see the edit image message that you are seeing. Can you tell us where you are seeing these? I have not (yet) come across this.

       

      Adobe Acrobat cannot edit images, afaik.

       

      Looking for more information...

       

      Jane

       

      O
      olive11251Author
      Known Participant
      August 27, 2025

      As I dug deeper into this after a 4 hour conversation with Adobe and a few other artists, it has been brought to light this is via a browswer option / extention.  IF you load the Acrobat extention to any browser this editing option is available to ALL images even Getty images.  You can alter these images to no end.  This is available to the common user, which over 90% have no clue what copyright is.  There is no warning, no terms of service, and no warning when this opens in Adobe express that this may be a copyright protected image. Even Google has this warning when you download an image.  This was a new option just released, clearly those sitting at the table presenting this has not considered the inpact this has on the arts community.  
      Adobe has sent a letter to me this morning expressing the concern that someone did not think this out either.  So they are digging deeper also, "they say" being the key word here.   
      I put this to a test this morning and when I load the extention in any browser it will show this badge and you can edit your heart out.  THUS all the arts are going to be chasing their images, or works down 100 times more.  
      There is an option in LR, PS and IL to share, colaborate with others, there is NO need for the general public that knows nothing about copyrights should have this kind of power.  I have filed many cease and desists, and infringements in my time, and I can see that doubleing now. 
      I have contacted attorneys, large blog hosts, largely known artist, and publications regarding this.  They are all in agreement this is outright infringement aided by Adobe.  
      Mind you I do NOT have Adobe express loaded anywhere on any of my systems that I tested this on.

        jane-e
        Community Expert
        jane-eCommunity Expert
        Community Expert
        August 27, 2025

        @olive11251 

        Thank you for your concern. I am a volunteer who can't do anything, but have sent a message to Adobe staff to review this thread.

        Jane

          creative explorer
          Community Expert
          creative explorerCommunity Expert
          Community Expert
          August 27, 2025

          @olive11251 Speaking as a graphic designer, I totally get that, especially when I teach my students about copyright issues. It's the same before 'Instant Edit' and 'Generative AI,' because in Photoshop, anyone can 'retouch' it as well. Adobe's terms of service and legal pages contain extensive information about copyright already... 

          Legal Terms: https://www.adobe.com/legal/terms.html
          Terms of Use (TOS): https://blog.adobe.com/en/publish/2024/06/06/clarification-adobe-terms-of-use
          License Terms: https://www.adobe.com/legal/licenses-terms.html

          For tracking, there are other forms of protection, such as image tracking services that use AI to search for unauthorized use such as Red Points, Tin Eye and Pixsy. For that matter, you could try a reverse look-up on Google too.

          m
          O
          olive11251Author
          Known Participant
          August 27, 2025

          I don't think you are understanding, or I am not understandig your reply. 

          Images are showing up on social platforms that have a Ps QR code or an adobe button which when you click or scan takes you to Adobe express to have to have the ability to edit another persons images, remove backgrounds, removed elements you name it.  When you click that button it does not give a warning "this image may be copyright protected".  It just lets you steal someone's image and you get to post it as your own.  You tell me how this applies to Federal copyright laws,  it doesn't.  I have had long running conversations with Adobe and they have agreed that more than 90% of people do not know anything about copyright.  What Adobe has done to artists is down right against the law.  
          In PS, LR and IL you have the ability of sharing and coworking / collaboratiing with others, (which is great) but why they felt the need to release this to the general public boggles my mind.  They are not protecting the arts, the artists, they are setting us up for infringements. 
          I have spoke with my attorney and others that are well known photographers, published and such, and they are feeling that this too was a bad move on Adobe's part.  In fact there is a class action being put together because of this. 
          You post a professional image for a client, someone alters that it's copyright infringement period!  The moment that shutter is released that image belongs to the creator.  
          I don't think we are talking about the same thing.

            E
            ExUSA
            Genius
            August 27, 2025

            What you are asking for is not possible. Adobe cannot police copyrights and cannot control what someone does with software on their computer.

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