- you work a long shift. your eyes are strained, wrist aching, but ultimately you're pleased with the piece you've created. whether it's for enjoyment, or passion, or commission, or just a little extra help with the bills; you've put a lot of effort into this. and then some self entitled crusty little b*stard comes along, takes your hard work, and flips it for a quick buck and a few seconds of delusional fame. now, I'm a pacifist by nature, but I'd happily stick my boot up an art thief's ass and tell them to bugger off.
there's a lot of talk going around right now about art thievery and pieces being stolen, so I thought I'd throw my two cents in. I've had my own designs stolen before, and I'll tell you what, it absolutely burns my biscuits when I hear about people taking something that isn't theirs and claiming it as their own like they have the right to do so. there's a lot of explicit words I'd love to use in these situations, but I'm sure people can use their imaginations as to what they are. bottom line; art thievery of any kind is horrid. an attack on one artist is an attack on the community, and it's our duty to band together and support each other when and where we can.
- - - - -
• if you're afraid of your own art being stolen, make sure you have a good sig/watermark. even if it obscures part of the design/artwork, at least it's an obvious sig, and obviously owned/created by you. if you can, make sure it covers something that would make it hard to erase - art thieves would remove your sig if possible, so try and take that opportunity away from them.
• specify what websites you use to upload/post art. this way if your art pops up on another website you haven't listed, people will know that you haven't posted it there, and know that it's been taken without consent. for example, I only use CS, TH, DA, and FR, in regards to art. if my art pops up somewhere else, assume it's been stolen. for double security, specify the usernames you use as well, or link to them on your profile somwhere.
• don't be afraid to raise the alarm. if you think an artist's work has been stolen, please don't hesitate to speak up. message the original artist. message the people who are buying the stolen work. message the site staff to alert them to the issue. do not let the thief get away with this.
• be sure of your accusations. ask for a second opinion if you're not 100% sure the art has been copied/stolen. ask for a third opinion if you need to. start up a conversation with the artist - even if it's a false alarm, please don't hesitate to message! the artist will definitely appreciate it, and feel comforted knowing that people are looking out for them. coincidences in design do happen, so if the supposedly copied work seems innocent in any way, try and reach out to that party too. there could be a chance that it was an honest coincidence, and they might change their design to be less similar. openly accusing someone of art theft, and then discovering they were innocent, still means that their name will always be associated with this crime. just be sure before you point the finger.
• reverse image search your artwork. it might not always work, but there's a chance it'll show if your work has been posted elsewhere. it might also show similar designs that have been posted, so there's a chance you'll see if someone has copied your design too.
• message someone who has purchased stolen artwork. or before they go through with the purchase, ideally. if you know for sure it's a stolen design, let them know that they've bought something that isn't theirs, and that the design belongs to someone else. fingers crossed they'll be able to get a refund, or at least spread the word about the seller being an art thief. guaranteed, at least, they'll be more careful about buying pieces in the future.
• alert artists/buyers to known art thieves. if you see someone interacting with a user you know to be an art thief, message that person and let them know. make sure you provide proof to back up your statements. don't let innocent people be scammed. alert them to the kind of person they're interacting with.
- - - - -
everyone can play their part.
support and protect your local artist.
