Photography, Design Work and Pinterest: Who owns What?!

 Let me start by saying that I really like Pinterest...I have lots of boards and have pinned hundreds of great ideas that are clearly the work/design/photography of others and

I usually try to give credit to the source... if possible.

 Lately I have seen quite a few photos from this blog that have been re-pinned over and over with no reference what so ever as to where the photo originated...in fact it is usually linked to some really random blog that I never knew existed, with a nice comment like "great couch"

 So here is my dilemma...why does seeing my photos pinned and used by others, which link back to their web sites etc feel like a problem to me ?  

Am I being silly or is this something that we should all be concerned about?

Now no one will probably pin the photos of my vacations

 but they might pin this laundry room

 If any content on the Internet is fair game to be pinned 

then how is it possible for credit be given to the photographer or writer, even

 if it is copyrighted material? 

If the whole process of pinning and using photos 

for either personal use or as a "visual" by a professional is just part of 

"the way things are today"...

does any one really own anything once it makes it's way onto the Internet?

 Would it be possible for someone to make money by e-publishing a short story or a poem that was written by someone else?

 What if you created the ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie

 and it wound up in someone's new cookbook?! 

 I find this really troubling 

 Should I start watermarking every photo that I post ?

or am I being too "self important" in thinking that a landscaper will steal this photo of these urns and show a client for his own benefit?

Perhaps the biggest slap in the face lately has been seeing details from my design work show up in other designers (yes designers) work...with similarities that are too close for comfort....

really?!

Is the copy cat thing flattery...It doesn't feel like it!

I know this is a bit of a rant, which I try not to do on this blog

but it's really been bugging me

I am really curious what you all think!