Last month we wrote about OffiSync, a powerful plugin that directly ties Microsoft Office to Google Docs, allowing you to save your desktop files to the cloud automatically. Since launch the plugin has fared quite well, with over 50,000 downloads. And today it’s releasing a new version that could prove immensely useful for those of you that frequently use Office.
The biggest addition to the plugin is integrated text and image search. While Office comes with a directory of clip art, it leaves something to leave desired — I almost always find myself just going straight to Google Image search. Now, using OffiSync, you can search Google Images directly from within Office. The plugin supports advanced searches, like sorting by color, size, and usage rights. Once you’ve found an image you like, simply hit ‘Insert’ and the picture will appear wherever your text cursor was. There’s also an integrated browser: just navigate to the page you’d like to quote, highlight the text, and hit Insert.
Of course, you could accomplish the same thing by opening up your browser and copy/pasting an image or piece of text into your Office document, but this streamlines things and should also automatically deal with any formatting issues.
My biggest gripe with the plugin is the way it handles attribution. Or, rather, the way it doesn’t. When you choose to import and image or piece of text, a popup appears reminding you that the content may be subject to copyright. But there’s currently no way to automatically generate a bibliography or footnote for the content, which means you’ll have to do it manually. It’s not a deal-breaker by any means (plagiarists would just disable the feature anyway), but having to manually keep track of that information can certainly become a hassle.
OffiSync is free, with plans to release a premium version for businesses in the future. The plugin is Windows-only for now, but a Mac version is on the way (the company hopes to have it out by the end of the summer).
So what’s the difference between this and Ginipic besides this one only supports Google? http://www.ginipic.com
OffiSync can insert anything not just images… but Ginipic is very cool thanks for the find! Weird it’s not here on Techcrunch.
On top of that, people tend to use things in an application if they are built in, instead of having to download a third party plugin/application that does the same thing. I could care less though, I can’t remember the last time I was required to insert images into my college papers or copy and paste directly from Wikipedia onto my paper. I don’t use microsoft office 2007 (or whatever version they’re on now), and I don’t plan to in the near future, there are plenty of free alternatives on the web for mac and pc. Great post though!
Smart !
Very smart.
It would be awesome if they had a plugin for Windows LiveWriter – of course with the attribution part built-in
So it makes it a lot easier to use copyrighted material without the copyright owner’s consent?
Sort of, but it’s not like it bypasses some kind of encryption or security scheme.
Wow, that’s a very negative outlook on things. Just FYI they have that covered: “The plugin supports advanced searches, like sorting by color, size, and usage rights.”
It keeps small the number of choke points for oversight. If someone lodges a copyright complaint about an image, it will be reflected in this app too without the rightsholder having to track down all possible downstreams.
Exactly the problem. I use the Flickr Creative Commons because it makes it easier to be honest and yet get the image you need.
Great plug-in. What about Open Office? I don’t use any MS products except the OS.
LEGAL NIGHTMARE!
First lawsuit: “Judge, I used OffiSync to get my image. I didn’t know this pic was copyrighted. They should be equally responsible”.
And they will be.
I just installed it and it actually gives you many warnings as to copyright. On top of that it seems you can actually filter by usage rights.
Maybe it does the opposite? maybe it helps ensure you use content legally?
Hiding behind a TOS does not work. Bittorrent, Gnutella, etc. guys found that the hard way.
These guys are gonna get sued.
I don’t want to be a wet blanket here, but much of what you find on Google Image searches is NOT CLIP ART.
I’d bet that more than half of the Obama images in your above example are copyrighted material that you are not free to use in the majority of cases.
Just because you find something on the Web does not give you license to use it as you see fit.
Fair Use is an admissive defense for allegations of copyright infringement, and just because you’re writing a blog, making a presentation or illustrating an article does not give you carte blanche to use photos and illustrations without license from the copyright holder.
Even Creative Commons is not so cut-and-dry simply because it is relatively legally untested. Much of it allows use, but non-commercially. Some people have very different ideas about what commercial use is.
Even attributing the original author doesn’t necessarily prevent you from still infringing on someone’s IP rights.
I suppose they made an effort with allowing searches by usage rights, but who’s to say those rights are correct, present or assigned by someone with the authority to do so?
Negative points to the author for leaving the setting at “ignore licenses” for the purposes of his illustration.
Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should. Just because something’s on the Internet doesn’t mean it’s free.
The Internet is a great and wonderful tool. But the abuse of intellectual property WILL ruin the legal uses of the Internet for everyone.
There’s too much money at stake for people to sit idly by while their work is stolen or misappropriated.
And the backlash will be huge. We all know that p2p software can be used for completely legitimate purposes, as can this software.
But the more it’s abused for illegal purposes, the more people will seek to restrict its use at all.
And for the last time, not everyone (in fact, much to the opposite) who owns and creates intellectual property for a livelihood is filthy rich and playing dial-an-extortion with old ladies based on questionable evidence.
Kincaid, how would you feel if I scraped all your posts and re-posted them on my own site with ads? How long would it take for the DMCA takedown notice to arrive? Would you sue?
At the end of the day, it’s not about whether you’re using the work to make money or not.
It’s whether you’re infringing on the rights of another to do it.
If you think it’s so beneficial to have a picture in your blog or presentation, you should either be willing to license one appropriately (there are a bazillion sites out there that will sell/license you a photo legally for basically nothing), or go out and make the picture yourself.
If it’s so easy to get professional/acceptable results with modern day cameras, by all means do it.
There should be no need to steal the work from others.
Full Acknowledgement!
agreed, very well written
Well said. Too many people have no idea what image copyright is nevermind adhere to it. Google itself should be sued for making it so easy to infringe rights.
“I don’t want to be a wet blanket here, but much of what you find on Google Image searches is NOT CLIP ART.”
Huh? I think you misunderstand the definition of clip art. Not all clip art is free.
Too right. But I chose to use the terms applied by the author where in context, “clip art” seems to be defined as work in the public domain, or work otherwise licensed for use as such.
Call it “PICTURE AUTO STEALER”
LoL… so this application depends on Google Docs to peddle itself?
i don’t think these guys are going to get sued at all any more than google will get sued for image search
Test
You just give out a tools for make easy of image steal?
Great! Stealing images just became faster and easier…
It’s no wonder photographers are finding it more and more difficult to make a decent living – products like this further erode public perceptions of the intrinsic value of images, and further blur the lines between legal and illegal usage.
It’s contributing to the slow death of a seminal industry, and when it gets to the point that nobody can make a living as a professional in the photography business, we’ll see a huge reduction of the availability of high quality images.
Just because you can easily do something doesn’t make it right. Products like this just make it simple for people to go onto professional’s sites (like mine) and just take what they like.
Fair usage? If you want to be fair, ASK FIRST.
Great! Image copyright infringement made easy. I think I’m going to put up a banner at my sites like “Who needs to pay for Windows? Integrate it easily on your machine clicking “
just another product to encourage piracy.
with plans to release a premium version for businesses in the future – so you will charge business for a tool to make piracy easy.
you’re just scum, no better than the pirate sites, torrents etc