Comments on: Stop stealing my sh*t! http://skinnyartist.com/stop-stealing-my-images/ Live your Art Fri, 03 Feb 2012 15:25:14 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Phoebe http://skinnyartist.com/stop-stealing-my-images/#comment-1003 Phoebe Fri, 06 Jan 2012 16:18:06 +0000 http://skinnyartist.com/?p=566#comment-1003 Hey, I found that my twitter pictures are on google which I don't want! I went down to report picture and it came up with you can stop google by typing this into your server root?? I don't know what that is? Any help? Hey, I found that my twitter pictures are on google which I don’t want! I went down to report picture and it came up with you can stop google by typing this into your server root?? I don’t know what that is? Any help?

]]> By: Ronna Moore http://skinnyartist.com/stop-stealing-my-images/#comment-979 Ronna Moore Fri, 23 Dec 2011 16:29:57 +0000 http://skinnyartist.com/?p=566#comment-979 So, my photographs on my website are photographs of products, not art per se, but I still don't want lazy people to use them. According to Vickie F. they don't have to be copyrighted for it to be considered theft? Just wondering if I should watermark even my product photos. Once again, great information. Thanks for sharing. Ronna So, my photographs on my website are photographs of products, not art per se, but I still don’t want lazy people to use them. According to Vickie F. they don’t have to be copyrighted for it to be considered theft? Just wondering if I should watermark even my product photos.

Once again, great information. Thanks for sharing.

Ronna

]]> By: Tai http://skinnyartist.com/stop-stealing-my-images/#comment-916 Tai Sun, 11 Dec 2011 22:06:05 +0000 http://skinnyartist.com/?p=566#comment-916 Digimarc http://www.digimarc.com/ Copyright info encoded right into the image You can search the web for anywhere your image is being used. Also the data is still readable if the image is resized or printed, and I think recolored. Only thing is the basic service cost about $50 a year. But, if people are buying your prints--or you think they will eventually--then I think the equivalent of a little over $4 a month is worth it. Digimarc
http://www.digimarc.com/

Copyright info encoded right into the image
You can search the web for anywhere your image is being used.
Also the data is still readable if the image is resized or printed, and I think recolored.

Only thing is the basic service cost about $50 a year.
But, if people are buying your prints–or you think they will eventually–then I think the equivalent of a little over $4 a month is worth it.

]]> By: Vicki France http://skinnyartist.com/stop-stealing-my-images/#comment-894 Vicki France Fri, 09 Dec 2011 17:49:40 +0000 http://skinnyartist.com/?p=566#comment-894 Over 20 emails with ZERO responses and then a break through because of your link...I contacted Go Daddy.com and reported the abuse, in turn GoDaddy.com wanted me to fill out a form that proves my art was indeed copyright protected. I told them it does not need to be protected, that it mine, that I created it and I have proof...but they wanted me to send in the $65 to have it protected with an agency...BULLSHiT is what I thought. At any rate I found out through GoDaddy the information I needed to phone the guy and email him...and guess what HE called me back and is removing the art. He has at least 30 different websites all of which offer out free art for downloads and I am sure that most of it is pirated art. But! I won my battle. The guy makes about $1000. a month through all the sites he owns. I told him if he doesn't take my art down I will sue. I think I finally won a battle...wish he had removed the art months ago when I first asked. If any of you want to search and see if your art is being handed out through him search "Wallace Internet Properties." Over 20 emails with ZERO responses and then a break through because of your link…I contacted Go Daddy.com and reported the abuse, in turn GoDaddy.com wanted me to fill out a form that proves my art was indeed copyright protected. I told them it does not need to be protected, that it mine, that I created it and I have proof…but they wanted me to send in the $65 to have it protected with an agency…BULLSHiT is what I thought. At any rate I found out through GoDaddy the information I needed to phone the guy and email him…and guess what HE called me back and is removing the art. He has at least 30 different websites all of which offer out free art for downloads and I am sure that most of it is pirated art. But! I won my battle. The guy makes about $1000. a month through all the sites he owns. I told him if he doesn’t take my art down I will sue. I think I finally won a battle…wish he had removed the art months ago when I first asked. If any of you want to search and see if your art is being handed out through him search “Wallace Internet Properties.”

]]> By: Drew http://skinnyartist.com/stop-stealing-my-images/#comment-893 Drew Fri, 09 Dec 2011 17:02:00 +0000 http://skinnyartist.com/?p=566#comment-893 Wow that really sucks :( Unfortunately, this type of thing is becoming far too common online. At first it was pirating music and movies online, now it seems these online thieves are branching out and have moved on to "content scraping" which is where they simply rip off your creative content (writing, pictures, music, or whatever) and use your content to get them some traffic from Google and then try to sell people stuff from their affiliate links. Sooner or later the technology for sniffing out and stopping these idiots will catch up to them and hopefully those of us who create original content online will still be around. Thanks again for your kind words about the article, I hope that this whole experience won't deter you from sharing your work online. Keep creating and don't let the bastards win! Wow that really sucks :(

Unfortunately, this type of thing is becoming far too common online. At first it was pirating music and movies online, now it seems these online thieves are branching out and have moved on to “content scraping” which is where they simply rip off your creative content (writing, pictures, music, or whatever) and use your content to get them some traffic from Google and then try to sell people stuff from their affiliate links.

Sooner or later the technology for sniffing out and stopping these idiots will catch up to them and hopefully those of us who create original content online will still be around. Thanks again for your kind words about the article, I hope that this whole experience won’t deter you from sharing your work online.

Keep creating and don’t let the bastards win!

]]> By: Drew http://skinnyartist.com/stop-stealing-my-images/#comment-892 Drew Fri, 09 Dec 2011 16:38:40 +0000 http://skinnyartist.com/?p=566#comment-892 I'm glad it was helpful Vicki :) Hopefully once they realized that they've been caught they will do the right thing and take your stolen artwork (and everyone else's) off their website and find something else more productive to do with their time. Usually if it's as large-scale operation as it sounds, however, things could get a little tricky depending on how much money they are actually making on these websites. At this point I would simply stay after them with repeated emails and try to get as much contact info as you can. If nothing happens, inform then that your next step will be to contact their hosting company (GoDaddy) which is your right under the DMCA and start the process to have their hosting account suspended. Now of course I'm not a lawyer or any type of legal expert, but the way I understand it the hosting company can also be held liable so they should be much more responsive. Good luck and please let us know how it all turns out! I’m glad it was helpful Vicki :)

Hopefully once they realized that they’ve been caught they will do the right thing and take your stolen artwork (and everyone else’s) off their website and find something else more productive to do with their time. Usually if it’s as large-scale operation as it sounds, however, things could get a little tricky depending on how much money they are actually making on these websites.

At this point I would simply stay after them with repeated emails and try to get as much contact info as you can. If nothing happens, inform then that your next step will be to contact their hosting company (GoDaddy) which is your right under the DMCA and start the process to have their hosting account suspended. Now of course I’m not a lawyer or any type of legal expert, but the way I understand it the hosting company can also be held liable so they should be much more responsive.

Good luck and please let us know how it all turns out!

]]> By: Vicki France http://skinnyartist.com/stop-stealing-my-images/#comment-874 Vicki France Wed, 07 Dec 2011 19:54:42 +0000 http://skinnyartist.com/?p=566#comment-874 Super reply! I have found everything I needed from your link and sent them email today (Dec 7, 2011) I found so much stolen artwork that I was sickened. GoDaddy.com is the hosting agent and Wallace Internet Properties are the folks stealing. Wallace has several internet sites that distribute "Computer Wallpaper" that they have stolen from various places around the web. I also see that they generate money everyday from these sites. If they don't removed it can I sue? And if so I wonder for how much? It just makes me so mad!! Super reply! I have found everything I needed from your link and sent them email today (Dec 7, 2011) I found so much stolen artwork that I was sickened. GoDaddy.com is the hosting agent and Wallace Internet Properties are the folks stealing. Wallace has several internet sites that distribute “Computer Wallpaper” that they have stolen from various places around the web. I also see that they generate money everyday from these sites. If they don’t removed it can I sue? And if so I wonder for how much? It just makes me so mad!!

]]> By: Ashiya http://skinnyartist.com/stop-stealing-my-images/#comment-872 Ashiya Wed, 07 Dec 2011 18:21:38 +0000 http://skinnyartist.com/?p=566#comment-872 Actually the second image is not the same one stolen (the watermarked one). It was traced, or copied, a shadier kind of stealing... so the size doesn't actually matters to these people. They can copy any image in whatever size they want unfortunately. Shameless plagiarizing. Actually the second image is not the same one stolen (the watermarked one). It was traced, or copied, a shadier kind of stealing… so the size doesn’t actually matters to these people. They can copy any image in whatever size they want unfortunately. Shameless plagiarizing.

]]> By: CourtneyJo of The Everything Soap Blog http://skinnyartist.com/stop-stealing-my-images/#comment-856 CourtneyJo of The Everything Soap Blog Tue, 06 Dec 2011 04:16:48 +0000 http://skinnyartist.com/?p=566#comment-856 I had to write and tell you that this article is so helpful. I literally discovered another blogger not only stealing my self created unique photos, but entire content and publishing it on their blog as their own. I am out using Google to find ways to protect myself. I feel completely ripped off and irritated. I don't even consider myself to be that creative, so when I found the few things I make that are uniquely me stolen, I got very agitated. Maybe if I felt I had creativity flying out of me I wouldn't be so ticked. Anyway, thanks for being my afternoon therapist and thank you for the shrink wrapping tip in particular. I had to write and tell you that this article is so helpful. I literally discovered another blogger not only stealing my self created unique photos, but entire content and publishing it on their blog as their own. I am out using Google to find ways to protect myself. I feel completely ripped off and irritated. I don’t even consider myself to be that creative, so when I found the few things I make that are uniquely me stolen, I got very agitated. Maybe if I felt I had creativity flying out of me I wouldn’t be so ticked. Anyway, thanks for being my afternoon therapist and thank you for the shrink wrapping tip in particular.

]]> By: Kat http://skinnyartist.com/stop-stealing-my-images/#comment-846 Kat Mon, 05 Dec 2011 05:04:41 +0000 http://skinnyartist.com/?p=566#comment-846 Eh, I pay for Pandora so that I do not have to hear commercials in order for my Artists to be compensated. I am currently going to school for photography. friends constantly go "where is your art, why do you not post it?" Hmm, I wonder why I don't post my photographs to facebook? Gee, it seems counterproductive if one is to make a living. Now if one wants me to take photos for them, sure. I'll post. But if I feel a shot can be something really good in the future, hell I won't even post it to class. Not until the copyright is in my hand. Building a portfolio can be tricky in this day and age... So can being original. If you come up with something that is original and artfully successful then it is worth protecting like property. Scientific and medical breakthroughs are for sharing as they are educational pursuits; art is individual expression meant for individual gain. Eh, I pay for Pandora so that I do not have to hear commercials in order for my Artists to be compensated. I am currently going to school for photography. friends constantly go “where is your art, why do you not post it?” Hmm, I wonder why I don’t post my photographs to facebook? Gee, it seems counterproductive if one is to make a living. Now if one wants me to take photos for them, sure. I’ll post. But if I feel a shot can be something really good in the future, hell I won’t even post it to class. Not until the copyright is in my hand.
Building a portfolio can be tricky in this day and age…
So can being original.
If you come up with something that is original and artfully successful then it is worth protecting like property. Scientific and medical breakthroughs are for sharing as they are educational pursuits; art is individual expression meant for individual gain.

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