Stealing Trend
June 21st, 2007 Filed in: News & Updates Jump to commentsSo, what is the next web trend after the Web 2.0 trend? Steal. I’ve been noticing this trend for a while and in fact it is rising. Rippers now on the Internet steal anything from text content, graphics, icons, design templates, to coding scripts. Almost every other week, I get an email from visitors telling me who stole my work. By the way, thanks for reporting copyright violations to me. This becoming an issue and I really want to bring it up. I have setup a Flickr gallery to showcase the ripped work. Here are some of the sample cases.
TV Print Ads (new)
Two days after I published this post, someone sent me another email reported my work being stolen by two Bosnia & Herzegovina TV stations - OBN.ba and RTRS.tv. He was nice enough scanned the newspaper ads and sent it to me. Although, I’ve never seen the actual ads but I believe they just ripped my high resolution wallpapers (without any editing). This is ridiculous, from a TV station?
SWsoft Sitebuilder
SWsoft Sitebuilder is an online application that allows users quickly build their website without any programming or design experience. The hosting provider will install the Sitebuilder on their server. Their clients will use the online wizard to pick a template, fill in the content, and then upload to their web space. I found several of my artworks were included in the application as a template. I certainly did not give them permission nor sold my work to them. It was actually a media/hosting company who reported this to me.
Canvas Printouts
Believe me or not, I found these in a local shopping mall, Pacific Mall. If you live in Toronto area, you probably have been to the mall or know about it. It is located at Kennedy and Steele. I was shopping at the mall and found my works were selling at a retail booth. They printed my work on a large size canvas and selling for $35CAD. I quickly took some pictures with my camera phone and asked the owner where did they get the products from. The owner told me they brought their products through several level of connections, thus unable to trace the manufacture.
Best Web Gallery being ripped
Shortly after I launched Best Web Gallery, I found a site just ripped it exactly the same, but replaced with a different logo. They even copied my gallery entries and screenshots. As usual, I sent them an email and asked them to remove the design and related content. However, I didn’t receive any response. So, I submitted to Digg and got more attention. Then, the site quickly removed the theme in the next day.
How did I catch them?
Well, the Internet is very small. Unless you don’t publish your site online, otherwise the chance of you getting spotted is very high. Most of them are reported from visitors. The others are traced from referral links and tracking codes.
What should you do if someone stole your work?
I’m sure I’m not the only victim. What would you do if someone stole your work?
Send them an email? Half of the time, they don’t even have a contact number or email address on their site. If you are lucky enough, they will apologize and remove your work. The worst I’ve seen they just ignore your emails and pretend nothing happened. Or even worst they will claim as original and question you back “are you sure you are the original creator?”
Find a lawyer and sue them? It is probably not worth the value to sue them because most of them are small business or personal website. The lawyer fee will probably cost you more.
How do you handle your copyright infringement issues? Any advises or suggestions that you can share with us?
July 5th, 2007 at 5:32 pm
Hey Nice post i really can feel what you feel its becoming a trend these days but still you don’t have to be afraid of showcasing your work and optionally publishing some open source work there are still some people who appreciate the Designer and keep the copyright and the link.
July 5th, 2007 at 4:49 pm
I actually think myspace has something to do with the increased theivery of late. More people are learning how to copy images, and on top of that, they seem to think that if it’s online, it’s fair game to steal…
Very sad indeed.
July 5th, 2007 at 3:38 pm
Hi Nick…
I wanted to stop by and personally thank you for creating and sharing the GlossyBlue theme. Its a very kool WP theme (I had to modify it a bit to suit “my” tastes). LOL its the “only” nice thing about my blog at the moment as its a new blog and there isn’t hardly any content just yet. I think you’re a terrific artist/designer. Thanks again.
Also to put my input in about plagiarism: I think its ludicrous that people would stoop so low as to steal others intellectual work. Its lazy, irresponsible, and its just plain wrong and It just irks me! I’m sorry to hear and see that that people stealing you designs. At the very least they should give credit where credit is due.
July 5th, 2007 at 12:14 pm
Dude I am a huge fan of your work, it is ridiculous that companies are STEALING your designs to earn money, like the bamboo poster thingy, and these posters in a newspaper.
You should somehow find a way to copyright your designs or add a watermark (that isn’t easily removed with the healing brush or clone stamp tool)
So that when they publicise your work they automatically advertise for you (since your watermark is on it.)
It disgust me to see that people are earning money this way, it’s the same thing as stealing art from a museum (only your designs are better then the things you find in a museum ofc.)
I do hope you find a way to stop art theft
Wish you good luck.
July 4th, 2007 at 2:59 pm
lol, its very lame the extent people go to steal something… its pointless, can someone gain from stealing a website? surely not… i pitty the fools.
- lewis
July 4th, 2007 at 6:41 am
It’s a shame!
July 3rd, 2007 at 2:38 pm
For the Canvas Printouts I would engage a lawyer an sue them! Even because the owner of the shop, didn’t help you!
July 3rd, 2007 at 10:26 am
A reply to Zlatan R. I am not sure…but it could be that ProSieben actually owns OBN. They are one of the largest media companies in Germany. OBN’s logo is also alarmingly similar to RTL which is owned by ProSieben as well.
July 3rd, 2007 at 4:56 am
Similar thing happened to me last year. A designer, who I think was not familiar with Wordpress has stolen one of my creations. He only changed the header graphic and then claimed it as his very own design. And mind you what, the client whom he worked for was a law firm. Hehehe, now you can imagine what I did.
Btw, I know it hurts when you see people are stealing your work but I do agree with Sheena. Be proud. You are an excellent artist and I am one of your fan :).
Kudos
July 3rd, 2007 at 12:21 am
It must be hurt.
Go go go my friend.
The original one is undefeatable.