My art is for sale on print on demand sites but NOT BY ME. Solutions?
by
Ann
+5
My paintings are all over the net with many sold and unsold on Etsy and some on my blog. I watermark everything save for a few from years back. I just received an email showing this painting for sale as a shower curtain at Cafe Press. How do I respond to this? Has this happened to you? What have you done? I would dearly love to make money off of my own art, you know. Someone else obviously is.
5 answers
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Unless you have a copyright on your work I think once you put it on the internet it's up for grabs. You should consult an attorney about unauthorized use of your intellectual property. I don't think Hometalk is the correct forum to seek advice on this matter.
MN Mom
on May 05, 2016
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You may be right. Hometalk is such a large web presence I thought perhaps someone else may have had and dealt with this problem. I have contacted the site (Cafe Press) using their own policies and procedures to correct this problem. My lawyer says, "Copyright is an automatic right and does not require the author to file special paperwork." The seller scrubbed my watermark off the image they are selling.
Ann
on May 05, 2016
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I am pretty sure that putting an image on the internet does not make it up for grabs. I work in publishing and we have to formally obtain rights for any images we use, including those on the internet. What they are doing is illegal. It sounds like you are doing the right thing by contacting the site and consulting the lawyer. If that doesn't work you might try some of the options listed here: http://aphotoeditor.com/2011/06/01/what-to-do-when-your-image-is-stolen-online/ or here: https://designshack.net/articles/graphics/what-to-do-if-someone-steals-your-design/
Erika
on May 05, 2016
- See 2 previous
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Ask in the ETSY seller forums for advice, they will be able to steer you in the right direction.
Carol Oswald
on May 05, 2016
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And, make your things right-click protected. Here is just one of hundreds of articles dedicated to this rampant thievery. https://graphpaperpress.com/blog/protect-website-image-stealing/
Sandra Allen
on May 05, 2016
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