Ron Sherman isn't going to take it anymore. For years, photos from the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) Web site, specifically Picture Georgia, have been misused by browsers. Many pictures were being downloaded and used commercially at no charge, depriving the photographers from making a sale. Says Sherman, "I felt like I had to do something about it."

And so he did. Sherman contacted his state Representative, who proposed legislation that would tighten access to the website and prohibit commercial and advertising uses. Department policy now states that images are for use only by the department, or for editorial purposes. This is a boon to local photographers who make their living taking photos of the state. Kudos Ron.