Duplicates in the System

When checking on a search term to verify if my clips were findable, I came across some duplicates that are probably distorting numbers around here.

Cannot find item [14700702]!
from contributor "2@rtsubin-gmail"


from contributor "RTsubin"

Cannot find item [18005062]!
from contributor "4@RTsubin"

All three the same picture, all at different prices and variations of the same user name. Not sure if this is a result of the merging with other stock photo companies or something else, but figured I should point it out. Seen it before with other search terms too.

Not just in photo. Lots in the video side also. Not just similar but exact duplicates.

It would be interesting to compare the various key-wording, titling options being used on these duplicates. Honest mistakes, or gaming the system. What do ya think?

Everyone makes honest mistakes, sometimes it due to ftp error or maybe the clip not showing up fast enough so the artist re-uploads thinking something was wrong. It makes no sense that any are done on purpose. I guess it depends on how many duplicates are from the same artists over and over. There are also a lot of duplicates from same artist on gorilla footage.

Another example of duplicates, yes the color of the "people" have slight changes but motion, position, animation, speed and with all intent and purpose duplicates. So P5 approved so it appears to be ok to make such minor changes. In fact there are a large number with ever so slight changes. Is this what buyers need to make a purchase?

I don't really have an issue with the two clips - they are different.

With regards to the photos I thought the 2@ and 4@ prefix were to indicate images from other sites - so the 4@ might mean the photo was imported from the 123rf database - and to avoid problems of contributors with the same username selling on both sites (when they might be different people) adding a prefix would create a new user name.

Excessive near-duplicates by a single contributor is one thing, but what I'm addressing here is 2 or 3 separate user accounts with the exact same image. I'm assuming it's not a "gaming the system" attempt, but either way it's not good for the search results and should probably be looked at.

Here's some more:

Cannot find item [17710278]!
Cannot find item [14644268]!
Cannot find item [16648670]!

Cannot find item [16714996]!
Cannot find item [12816005]!

What I am saying is that I suspect the same seller has this image for sale on 123RF, Pond5 and another site that shares photos with Pond5. So Pond5 add the 4@ or the 2@ to the usernames of the artists at 123RF or the other site when they display them here.

TE

At NAB I was told that rf123 was out and just individual artists now. I suspect that the new 4@ or 2@ is a new agency affiliation. Yes indeed anytime P5 makes deals with other agencies there will be duplications. Very few artists are using only one agency anymore.

I have seen the 4@ for quite a long time. The 2@ seems to be newer - Pixmac maybe?