Thief!

[Clover]

Not quite sure if this counts, so if it doesn't please remove it, but I'm putting it here for now.

I'm an artist, as a lot of you know already, and I take commissions, but sometimes I do art trades. I make these little trotting MLPFiM animations of people's characters, and I only take art trades for them out of respect for the friend who taught me how to make them, who does paid commissions for them. That said, I do still consider the people I make them for my customers, as they're 'paying' me with artwork in return for them.

I recently did one of a character called Vanilla Jubilee (viewable in my gallery here (http://albinomink.deviantart.com/gallery/33123607) , and in return the girl I made it for sent me this (http://s901.photobucket.com/albums/ac220/JellyWabbits-Katalyst/?action=view&current=SweetAppleCrisp2.png&newest=1) as repayment, of my character Sweet Honey Crisp (sometimes mistakenly called Sweet Apple Crisp, it happens a lot). That was all well and good, but while I was browsing around the internet looking at pictures of ponies, which is what I do in my free time (I'm sort've a loser that way) I came across... this (http://www.furaffinity.net/view/6660840/).

Trotters don't take a lot of time, at least not for me, but they are still pretty difficult to make, especially with characters with complicated markings, jewelry, hair or whatever. GOD, if they're wearing bracelets or socks or have markings on their legs...that's a good chunk of effort right there, so they're not as easy as a lot of people think they are. They can actually be very complex, especially ones with a lot of custom stuff, like capes or pets or whatnot. So, if I do an art trade for one, I expect you to put as much effort into your payment, or at least have it be original if it's not very detailed or whatever. I certainly do NOT expect you to rip out another person's picture, slap my character's cutie mark on it, and call it original art!

The worst of it is, she's only got it on her photobucket account, not on her deviantart account, so it's going to be that much harder to pin it on her. I already contacted the original artist, who's probably just as if not more outraged than I am.

Anyone else been in a situation like that? And if so, what did you do about it? I could just take down the trotter I did for her, but she's already downloaded it, has it on her own computer, so if I take it off my page she may just start saying she made it herself, and I wouldn't really have any proof of otherwise besides the original file I still have, which she might turn around and say I stole from her.

Any advice?

[EDIT] False alarm, guys! Turns out the original artist made a free base so anyone who wants to create one of those heart-shaped ponies can do so with their character, it wasn't stolen, she just used the premade base and altered it for my character! Not what I expected her to do for our trade, but I didn't specify anything other than for her half to be something of one of my characters, so if anything it's my own fault.

I feel stupid now.

[EDIT EDIT] Hang on a tic...I just talked to the original artist again, and evidently he had no knowledge of any premade base for those. So evidently what she told me was either a lie or innaccurate...at the very least, the real original artist had nothing to do with it if someone did make a premade base of his designs. Going to have to look into it some more.

[LillFilly]

You know, Seraph sounds like the one to ask about this. Maybe have a contract stating the trade must be in original art, and that if they don't pay-up, they can't use the art you traded them? This sucks, but look at it this way, you have talent and she doesn't!

[Clover]

You know, Seraph sounds like the one to ask about this. Maybe have a contract stating the trade must be in original art, and that if they don't pay-up, they can't use the art you traded them? This sucks, but look at it this way, you have talent and she doesn't!

But I don't make any contracts with them-it's all online. We basically just say "Art trade?" "Sure! What do you want?" and that's about it. No terms and conditions or whatever.

Art thieves just really make me mad. I made a deviantart account solely dedicated to catching them, just for that- here (http://arttheiveslist.deviantart.com/art/MarimbaWhisker-264854700) is an example of the comparisons I use to help make the case.

[Nashida]

Slightly OT, but I remember seeing the big artist mentioned in the post (starts with a D) promote this page in her journal, and I say I like the idea. A fan art forum I frequent has a subsection for art thieves and works somewhat like this group.

Back to the topic at hand, Photobucket actually can do something about stolen work. This page here (http://support.photobucket.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/176) tells you how to report stolen work. And if its on FA they probably have a way of reporting it like DA does (provided the admins actually notice it, of course)

[maskedpuppy]

Seems like a lot of art theft happens between FA and DA. :c

Also, I'm the same username as here on FA and oh my goodness I'd KILL for a trotter. ;w; SO cute. Lemme know if you like my art and maybe want to trade, if you have a chance!

[Pojodan]

One of my dearest friends about 10 years ago was an awesome artist that was fast and very good at it.

Unfortunately that meant that her work got ripped out left right and center to the point where she simply stoped drawing because she was so sick of it.

[Clover]

Seems like a lot of art theft happens between FA and DA. :c

Also, I'm the same username as here on FA and oh my goodness I'd KILL for a trotter. ;w; SO cute. Lemme know if you like my art and maybe want to trade, if you have a chance!

I'd be happy to! My username on FA is Kyohte! :D

And evidently, it was NOT stolen-it turns out the original creator made a free base for that particular design that anyone can use and alter for their own characters. It's not a drawing, which I expected, but I didn't specify anything from her other than for it to be one of my characters, so...yeah.

I feel really stupid now.

[Clover]

Slightly OT, but I remember seeing the big artist mentioned in the post (starts with a D) promote this page in her journal, and I say I like the idea. A fan art forum I frequent has a subsection for art thieves and works somewhat like this group.

Back to the topic at hand, Photobucket actually can do something about stolen work. This page here (http://support.photobucket.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/176) tells you how to report stolen work. And if its on FA they probably have a way of reporting it like DA does (provided the admins actually notice it, of course)

....which one?

[Nashida]

D to the olphy. I've been watching her work for years.

And I realized after I posted you said the original work is on the artist's Photobucket, not the other way around. Hmm. Not sure if the links I gave will help much.

[Clover]

D to the olphy. I've been watching her work for years.

And I realized after I posted you said the original work is on the artist's Photobucket, not the other way around. Hmm. Not sure if the links I gave will help much.

Oh, she's awesome! We're actually sort've friends (don't know each other IRL, but we've talked through notes and stuff, I helped her find kids who were stealing or tracing her art) and she's the co-founder of my new group, Art Thieves List, where we compile all the evidence in one place. We already got one thief deactivated!

[Nayeli_Sabia]

I am more passive with following up on art theft, but I wanted to know if you'd seen Tin Eye (http://www.tineye.com/)? It is for tracking and finding pictures. It wouldn't work for traced art, but does work for copy pasted. I tend to use it as a track back when I see something I recognize, but can't remember who the original artist is.

I think all artists who want to keep control of their art should use Tin Eye to scan the web for their property from time to time

[Enjis]

I've started painting china plates with the MLPs on them. One thing about my art...it certainly can't be stolen, as only one other FA artist does china painting like I do (and she certainly can do her own ponies, so no worries.)
I am so happy that so many of my fellow CS posters are also on FA!

[Moosenogger]

I caught someone on Deviantart who stole quite a bit of art from another website. However, they didn't flat out copy/paste anything, they TRACED. So it was obvious which artwork was original and which was the secondary P.O.S. (Hint: The original is the one that's actually digitally colored and doesn't look like ****.)

I flooded them with comments and called them out on their crap, and also contacted the original artists. Pretty sure they took everything down, but that doesn't mean they learned a lesson. :/

[Clover]

I caught someone on Deviantart who stole quite a bit of art from another website. However, they didn't flat out copy/paste anything, they TRACED. So it was obvious which artwork was original and which was the secondary P.O.S. (Hint: The original is the one that's actually digitally colored and doesn't look like ****.)

I flooded them with comments and called them out on their crap, and also contacted the original artists. Pretty sure they took everything down, but that doesn't mean they learned a lesson. :/

I actually started a group called the Art Thieves List on DA, where I compile evidence against tracers, alterations and art thieves of all kinds, so everyone can report them and no one will give them money for commissions they end up stealing the art for or anything like that. It's downright pathetic that so many people want to be considered artists, but don't want to learn to draw so instead they decide to steal art. Just because it's on the internet doesn't mean you can take it!

[ShadowBall]

I've had several of my fanarts either stolen or used without my permission on DA. I love when little tween and teen retards will steal something of mine rendered in Photoshop and then make changes in MS Paint and try to pass it off as their own. Especially when they leave the watermark in. People on DA will often let me know when my stuff is stolen and I will report the moron to the site admins.

Stuff I've had happen in terms of art theft are:

- someone stealing a romantic pairing fanart and drawing their own fancharacter over one of the characters in the picture with Paint

- someone recording a short looping Flash animation with a webcam pointed at their screen and uploading to YouTube

- someone making fanart Yugioh cards and using one of my pieces without my permission

- people who take artwork and use them as their own avatars

- outright theft claiming my work is theirs without having made a single change to it, sometimes with the watermark still there or very badly and noticeably removed

Mind you I DO offer some stuff that I tell people they can use and share, but I swear the only things they take are the things not intended for sharing. It's like the typical human sensation of only wanting what you cannot have. Hell, I don't care if people want to save my art to their computer to enjoy, but I don't want people taking my stuff and passing it off as their own. In more extreme cases, I have seen many artists' works printed without their permission on t-shirts and sold on eBay.

[Seraph]

You know, Seraph sounds like the one to ask about this. Maybe have a contract stating the trade must be in original art, and that if they don't pay-up, they can't use the art you traded them? This sucks, but look at it this way, you have talent and she doesn't!

Hehehe, I saw this thread and actually had a flashback to an incredibly similar situation. I had artwork on DA that someone posted on photobucket, claiming it was theirs. Simple submission of a copyright complaint to Photobucket got it removed.

The interesting thing about this is that she claimed to use a premade base. Ask her for proof of this base, a link to it or whatever. If she can't provide it, then you know for a fact she's lying. I'll say one thing though, I did some Google searching and I can't find hide nor hair of one.

Also, yes. Someone mentioned TinEye. Great, GREAT tool to use.

[PepperElf]

I saw one artist who actually got in big trouble over her stealing. Beyond simply posting stolen art to DA, she actually had the gall to PHYSICALLY copy someone else's art and enter it in a contest as her own.

What's more, the contest actually requires that you sign a consent form stating that the artwork is your own.

Nothing like having your award revoked when the original artist sees it and files a complaint. Especially when you were dumb enough to even copy the POEM that was on the original painting too.

here (http://democratherald.com/news/local/article_f79eacec-571a-11df-b46f-001cc4c03286.html)

and on top of that, the original painting was better anyway :devil:

[Clover]

I just don't get why people keep stealing or tracing other people's work. Do they really think that stealing makes them a good artist? It doesn't.

I'm asking her to link me to the page that had the bases, so far I haven't found it and I'm rather unhappy about it.

[Gizmo]

Two FYIs here: Google have started a Tineye style search now that brings up similar images. I think I found out about it on another thread here on GS. So far it at least matches Tin eye and has identified a couple of things for me from images.

Second a friend told me that some of his stuff was taken from DA and was actually being sold as posters in Russia! :0 DA actually prosecuted them for him (according to him anyway).

[Clover]

Two FYIs here: Google have started a Tineye style search now that brings up similar images. I think I found out about it on another thread here on GS. So far it at least matches Tin eye and has identified a couple of things for me from images.

Second a friend told me that some of his stuff was taken from DA and was actually being sold as posters in Russia! :0 DA actually prosecuted them for him (according to him anyway).

One of my friends on deviantart (mentioned earlier on here) had one of her tribal animal designs stolen and used for wall decals by a company-she sued, but didn't really get anything at all from them but a promise they'd recall and get rid of the stock they had, and not use her design anymore. Also I think someone got fired from submitting her design.

And another company took one of Bri-Chan's disney princess drawings and sold t-shirts and stuff of it, and the whole of the Disney company backed Bri up in kicking their asses. Sweet, sweet justice, delivered by a mouse wielding a tire iron and lawyers.

[Ironclad Alibi]

After reading this discussion, I have to ask a question about my avatar. It is a part of a larger painting/print (http://www.oldgloryprints.com/Point%20Blank.htm) that I cropped and reduced to use for my avatar.

Should I change it to something original or public domain?

[Clover]

After reading this discussion, I have to ask a question about my avatar. It is a part of a larger painting/print (http://www.oldgloryprints.com/Point%20Blank.htm) that I cropped and reduced to use for my avatar.

Should I change it to something original or public domain?

I'd suggest so. Using avatars and such of images that belong to specific artists is a pretty big no-no.

[Kogarashi]

My own theft stories are tame. Twice now I've had people on DA post my work in their galleries claiming to have drawn it themselves. Both times, it was really old work of mine, rather than my nicer, newer work. Both times, DA took it down pretty quickly once I notified them. If you're going to steal my stuff, why not at least show some taste and steal the nicer stuff?

And I don't think I will ever understand the art thieves who, when called on their theft, start pitching a fit and claiming, "OMG how dare you call me a thief, [Artist] stole it from meeeeee!" Nevermind that not only does the original artist have actual descriptions for their picture while the thief has "Haha lol a picture I drew" as the entirety of the picture description, but the post dates on the pieces are clearly visible, and Artist beat Thief by a good five years. :no:

After reading this discussion, I have to ask a question about my avatar. It is a part of a larger painting/print (http://www.oldgloryprints.com/Point%20Blank.htm) that I cropped and reduced to use for my avatar.

Should I change it to something original or public domain?

I generally suggest just contacting the artist (if possible) to ask their permission. As an artist personally, I don't mind if people use my art for forum avatars (so long as they're not actively claiming credit), and most other artists I know don't mind that either. It's flattering, and most sensible fourm-goers understand that the art in any given member's avatar may not be that member's own work.

Theft, on the other hand, is just annoying (and potentially damaging).

[Ironclad Alibi]

Thank's for the feedback. I have changed my avatar for a public domain image of the same scene.