Regardless of where you come down on this issue (there is merit to both sides), good luck trying to enforce photo piracy of any kind. Being in the catalog & web business, I have spent months & tons of dough taking photographs (Ralph knows this better than I do), only to find my photos in ebay listings, on other websites, in magazines, books etc. There are the rare occasions where people actually ask which is nice, but 95% of the pics of mine used are done unauthorized. GUESS WHAT....unless I have done something to the pic to GUARANTEE that I took it, there is nothing I can do. IF, I can prove it's mine, then there is the wonderful world of litigation to get involved in. The bottom-line is this: if it chafes you for others to use pics of your stuff I suggest not letting any outsider photograph anything you have! People inevitably share them with others and they get downloaded & saved and passed around and the next thing you know, your Texaco sign ends up in someone's book. I for one would be honored if I owned something nice enough or rare enough to make a price guide. As for these guys writing books to get rich....don't bet on it. Most do it to establish themselves as an authority, which for the research involved, I believe it cements their status.
I've never done it, but all these SPECIALITY hobbyist guides are considered short/small runs by the publishers. The authors are generally given a modest advance ($10,000-$25,000) and then are required to purchase a percentage of the printing. So for 18-24 months work, you get a little bonus check, a welfare-type royalty check & a butt-load of books. Bear in mind, I'm not endorsing or bemoaning the picture issue, just saying it goes on all the time and that these guys that bring a new book to the table deserve a pat on the back. I know what a dog-fight it is to put out a 100 page catalog that only gets tweaked once a year. I can't imagine doing what Jack did or any of these authors for that matter.
Seth/Vic's '66'
