20th Aug 2026 (3 days ago)
UNAUTHORISED USE OF MY COPYRIGHTED PHOTOGRAPHS, PERSONAL DATA & PRIVACY CONCERNS<br><br>This review reflects my personal experience and the documentary evidence I hold.<br><br>I personally took photographs of our home throughout its renovation and completion. They included myself, my husband and our granddaughter, as well as our home and personal possessions.<br><br>When Austin Hawk were instructed to sell our home, I provided the photographs via a digital link with a clear written instruction that they were only to be shown to our prospective buyers.<br><br>Austin Hawk sold our home. Several months later, when the new owner decided to remarket the property, I discovered that Austin Hawk were using the same photographs again to market the property to a new group of prospective buyers.<br><br>I had never given permission for this subsequent use, nor had I transferred copyright or granted Austin Hawk an unrestricted licence to use my photographs.<br><br>I contacted Austin Hawk and specifically asked whether my photographs were being used again. I was told they were not. I raised the matter again and received further assurances that this was not happening. Only after I produced evidence demonstrating that the photographs were being used did John W acknowledge that they had in fact been used.<br><br>I find this particularly concerning because I had given clear, limited permission for the photographs to be used only in connection with the sale of our home.<br><br>Under UK copyright law, the person who creates an original photograph will generally own the copyright. A licence to use photographs can also be limited to a particular purpose. The subsequent use therefore raises serious concerns about potential copyright infringement and use outside the permission I granted. (gov.uk)<br><br>The photographs also contained identifiable images of members of my family, our home and our possessions. Their subsequent use for a different sale raises additional data-protection and privacy concerns, particularly in light of the original, expressly limited purpose. The ICO’s guidance requires personal data to be processed lawfully, fairly and transparently and in accordance with the purpose-limitation principle. (ico.org.uk)<br><br>Austin Hawk’s own Privacy Policy states that where they need to share a customer’s personal data with a third party, the customer will be informed beforehand and approval will be required. (austinhawk.co.uk)<br><br>Austin Hawk is also registered with The Property Ombudsman, whose members are expected to operate with appropriate standards of fairness, integrity and professional conduct.<br><br>I believe clients should be able to trust an estate agent to respect clear instructions concerning photographs of their family, home and personal possessions.<br><br>Having discovered that my photographs had been reused without my permission — and having initially been told that they were not being used — has seriously undermined my confidence in Austin Hawk.<br><br>This review reflects my personal experience and the documentary evidence I hold.... Read more