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 15th, 2007 at 4:22 pm
Elliott:
From Nick’s page for the theme * channel. claims to be using the license is as follows:
* You may NOT resell this theme
* A link back to N.Design Studio must be retained in the footer (either modified or unmodified)
* You may use this theme for personal or commercial projects
* You may modify, translate or distribute
So by this she can modify the theme (fourth term), but removing the footer link does violate this license (second term).
* chanel.:
You are violating Nick’s license (second term) by removing the link back to his site. The smart thing to do is get that link back into the footer as requested in the license.
July 15th, 2007 at 2:59 pm
* chanel. :
Yea but you still changed the colors of the skin. I don’t know if that’s allowed or not.
July 15th, 2007 at 1:54 pm
This comment is to “Meme” (of course that’s a fake name because you’re afraid to provide your true identity). I fully credited ndesign-studio.com in my “Domain” section of my website for his theme that I used. Stupid ass.
And to Nick, if the credit link I provided isn’t appropriate for you, just let me know via email. Thanks in advance.
July 15th, 2007 at 1:46 pm
EEEeeeeek. Where has Nick gone :( He hasn’t made a topic in forever.
July 15th, 2007 at 3:16 am
heyah Everybody. I own a design company and I love doing abstract art and illustration and all that. I think its a real shame that your work is being taken.
- Luke!
July 15th, 2007 at 2:25 am
I love your work. It’s absolutely amazing. Anyway about people stealing your work?? Well it’s a real shame, but since they’re nicking your work why don’t you just profit from it? I know it takes the joy out of art but i know people who are drawing lines and passing that off as art and selling it.
July 14th, 2007 at 11:38 pm
Here’s a site that’s stealing. She’s using one of your WP themes, only with different colors, and has taken your name off it and replace it with her own.
July 14th, 2007 at 3:05 pm
JohnChow.com and JohnCow.com.. amusing. I wonder if the other guys knows.
July 14th, 2007 at 9:43 am
sorry, i did not say what I would do in regard to this. I had this happen to me and I usualy contact first the comapny or person who did that and simpyl say that if they wish to use my designs they have to ask permision first.
July 14th, 2007 at 8:08 am
this is normal thing here in Bosnia, that all people with out a inspiration to steel other works. we have many problems whit this people. work for small money and steal a work from great designer. prize dumping. they work for 100 KM and in this way steal other content from other designer. i hate my country and all people with name graphic designer.