iStockphoto v. Awkward Stock Photos [1]

In late January 2010, iStockphoto [2] sent a DMCA takedown notice [3] to Tumblr, requesting that it to take down photos hosted on Awkward Stock Photos [4], a Tumblr blog of funny stock photo images found by users on the websites of various online stock photo purveyors.

According to Ars Technica [5], the notice demanded not only that iStockphotos' photos be taken down, but that all photos on the site be removed. Mark Hauge, who runs the site, told Ars that, before the takedown, he "only use[d] watermarked photos that [he] downloaded and re-uploaded to Tumblr (so [he] wasn't hotlinking) and then linked them back to their original source."

As a result of the takedown notice, Hauge no longer posts photos directly to his blog. Instead, he provides text links back to the source, with each entry reading the same: "Awkward Stock Photo." The effect is certainly not the same as it once was, but still very funny if you're willing to follow the links.