Non TMNT : Stolen Art!

[Michaelangelo]

Hey everyone, I had to vent somewhere and might as well vent to a bunch of fellow artist.

My sister is a wonderful artist, I'm in awe at her work all the time.  She does a lot of realism drawings, cartoon work and for the past 5 or so years, anime art as well.  She build costumes that have impressed so many and have won cosplay contests.  Her work is breath taking, and something I enjoy looking at a lot.

Well she likes to post and share her work on the web, though today she came to me and reported one of her art work pieces stolen.  I was confused, until she sent me to this web page.  The person put their nick in the top right hand coner of the picture, and in the description said that it's one of their first computer art drawings.

I'm going to give the link here, note that This person did NOT really draw the picture, my sister did.  Infact her sign is still left in the dirt under one of the characters (Anyone who knows Wolf's Rain knows who they are).   My sister is Miki Ivey, if you look in the dirt you'll see the person who stold it didn't even try to hide that.... guess they didn't realized it was signed.

My sister has reported this to the site though so far it's still up.

http://fanart.theotaku.com/view.php?action=retrieve&id=77757

I can't believe how stupid this person is to steal someone's work like this.  It really upsets me, since I know how much work my sister puts into all of her art.   >

[CriticalCrittles]

WOW that is an AMAZING piece,! It really urks me that that person would even dare to claim it as theirs, even after leaving your sisters sig in it obviously....and then is getting all those comments on it about how awesome it is for their "first computer piece" or whatever. HOW DARE THEY!!  I hope they get found out and get in SO much trouble and get made to look like the jackass they are....excuse my language but that's SO RUDE.
Tell your sister I think she's a WONDERFUL artist, and if that person feels they need to claim her art as their own, then they obviously fail in comparison to her awesome talent. SHE WINS, THEY FAIL.

[WolfofMibu]

As a Wolf's Rain fan you can at least tell your Sister that, that piece is just breathing taking.... that is honestly some of the best fanart I have seen from the show....


Now on to what this person did.... is there anything we can do to help?? Should we join and report this person too?? i would be happy to... I think its bullox to steal other peoples work and claim it as your own!

[Michaelangelo]

I'll ask her if there's anything we can do.  I jumped joined and voted no on liking the piece, only because I know it's stolen up there.  But if I can get the original URL from my sister, we'd be able to help report.  Let me check if she wants us to or not.

[Aignatius]

AAaaaargh! How frustrating! >  

That's happened to me a few times. Usually I notify the webmaster, show them my website and they take it down without any further ado.

The last time it happened, someone took some of my art and posted on a website oftheirs, and even stole a character of mine. It turned out this person had asked me way back in 93 if they could use the character in a role play. Without thinking about it, I said, sure. Turnsout they've been using teh character and then going to conventions and making buttons with my character on it. I had a huge contention with the webmaster (a friend of his) that this person had
 come up with the character himself. He even went as far as to accuse me of stealing his pal's stuff, which actually was more funny than annoying...
Then the person who was using the character contacted me and apologized for not acknowledging me as the original creator of the character. I"m glad he was cooperative, so that I didn't have to contact an attorney who specializes in copyright and trademark law.

Which is why I no longer post my best stuff online any more. I don't want it stolen. If I want others to see it, I'll get it published. Or, when I do put anything up, I superimpose my name across it with a copyright symbol, usually in photoshop I make a semi transparent layer for the text.
 Which any of you who post popular stuff should do. It might look pompous and snotty, but I am tired of getting after people who think they can take what they want and get credit for it... the worst part is working out a design and then someone sees it and steals it and they get paid for it. Since they didn't steal the actual art, but did what often is a lousy copy with enough changes to make it legal... that really bites. That's happened to me a few times. The worst is when it gets on the cover of some fantasy magazine. Argh.
It happens a lot to many artists, which is why I hate the commercial art world, I can't keep up with the young piranhas out there...

[Dark Angel]

That is so sad. I'd be mad if that happened to me. I would take it to that site and report it day aftr day till they take it down.

[Eclipse]

If there's one thing I CAN'T stand, it's art theives... *eyes narrow*......... I've had 2  of my pieces messed up before.

[Miki]

Wow..   you can say I'm new here. My sister (btw, thanks for all those comments there in your post.. O.o  )  asked me about posting the link to my original drawing and brought up that she mentioned what happened on this board.  Never thought I do my first post in a flame pit  CriticalCrittles Thanks for the comments on my art! I'm glad that you like it  , WolfofMibu, Your Okami.. right?  Hope I'm right..  Thank you for that comment..  If you ever want to see any more of my wolf's rain art PM me..  Everyone else, thanks! I did report the picture.. it was a few days ago and no word back yet. One other friend reported it too.. and still nothing. Perhaps the site is really busy, I'm not sure.. it seems to be a large site.   I did contact the person who did this and of course didn't receive a email back. If anyone else does want to report it..  Here is two of the sites I originally posted it on..

http://www.fanart-central.net/pic-127404.html
http://wolfsrain.proboards22.com/index.cgi?board=fanart&action=display&thread=1095130377&page=1

I really hate this when it happens, I've had it happen several times.. but usually it gets taken down quickly..  It is very frustrating when this happens. I'm glad i usually hide my name a bit.. might be the reason they left it in the pic.  

Aignatius, That is horrible about finding plagiarized artwork published on a front of a magazine.. it's sad that it has come down to avoiding posting your best art.. Every now and then I post.. might just keep it to my lj, but I love sharing it with other fans.. cause i seem to do a lot of fanart..  Haven't really had any of it published.. sometime i should send it into some of the anime magazines.. but so much gets lost when the drawings are shrunk down..  I think I'm going to start embossing my name into the pics more.. I don't think it's to snobbish, with how much this happens lately, a lot of people do it..The Corbis site don't have a snooty look to it..  

It really does suck when people steal your designs too.. these last few years we did a lot of Haunted House work.. one of the people I worked for ripped me off big time, didn't pay for my work.. over $3,000 of it.. and then stole the other House's idea for a sign that we built..     She's still up to it, no creativity.. she goes through her competitors haunted houses basically just taking notes on what she's going to do to hers.. and I mean copying it, to as close as she can get it..  her favorite line is "I'm a nice person, ain't I" she has to question it herself..

oh, and with art thieves.. I'm not sure if you heard about this, there might be a new law that will make it so they can get away with it.. artist wouldn't be able to do anything legal about it either.. :/  

http://asmp.org/news/spec2006/orphan_faxcall.php

It would be horrible if that actually happens..

Once again, Thanks everyone!

[Michaelangelo]

Welcome to TMNT-L Miki!!!!!  Sorry your first post had to be here *baps the theif*  Though I know that I have reported this and commented on this now.   I'm upset to see it's still up, I hope when I return from Toronto your art work will be down.

I'll like to Thank everyone here that does help out with this!  If you have an account please do help, if you haven't already.  Thanks!!!!

BTW Miki, the real FINISHED picture looks AWESOME!  (Heh yeah, it was stolen before it was fully done )

[Michaelangelo]

Just posting to say... "YEAH IT'S DOWN!"  I just walked in the door and one of the first things I did was refreshed the page and got this note...

An Error Has Occured

You have followed an invalid link or the artwork is no longer available on our site. You may return to our homepage by clicking here.

Figured everyone would be happy to know that the report has been taken care of!  Thanks to those of you who reported it!!!!

[WolfofMibu]

That honestly brightens my evening even more to hear!

 

[Miki]

Thanks everyone who did report the pic! I finally reposted the picture there at that site with my proof of the pic being snatched.. and both the links.  That worked, not even a half hour after posting it the pic was down!  The site didn't take the pic down, but the girl who plagairized the pic in the first place did..  she sent me a PM saying..

sry about the all the confusion abt the wallpaper! it is also posted at another website too. i made one like this and theyre almost the same! i took it down 4 u

So, she was still trying to take credit for it..   I emailed her back.. she sent that again..  well, at least the pic is down.   Now I have to figured out what other site she is talking abut..  

Thanks again everyone!!  If anyone here ever goes through that.. let me know, I'll be glad to report it and help out also..

btw, Michaelangelo.. thanks for the greetings, hope your Toronto Trip turned out great! glad you liked the finished drawing!

[Michaelangelo]

That bites that she's trying to steal your credit for your art still, you'd think she realized she was caught and that's it.   Instead of saying sorry about it, she still acts like she did it.  *rolls eyes*

If anyone sees this picture up anywhere else, please let us know here.   We know she posted it one other place claiming it to be her art.