SPC Fan Art site subjected to numerous Rips?

[AsterCrow]

Hey everyone, if you aren't already aquaintenced with the website http://www.aliencat.org/ [SPC Fan Art Archive] then I just want to bring it to your attention.

Since I've been on DeviantArt I've managed to catch 2 serparate users uploading ripped pictures from the website and either posting it as their own, or manipulating it and calling the final result their own work. One of them happened to be mine, and although it's a very old piece, and I'd almost be flattered by it's use, the culprit did not once attempt to contact me or give me any credit for the original work (but he DID take the time to remove my signature and date).

I think I can also remember another time where I came across work that was stolen from the site posted elsewhere.

There are the typical things you can do to protect yourself as an artist from manips and blatant rips, but most of the images on the SPC Fan Art Archive are older pics with no protection such as watermarks. I don't care enough to ask my artwork to be taken down, but at the same time if people can't simply ask me for permission, then I don't want them to have any rights to it. I wonder if there is anything else than can be done to express concern for the images on the site... perhaps you all can give suggestions.

[Daisensei]

It's a somewhat complicated matter, Internet is a relatively free place to put our works, but at same time they can be stolen easily. The only way to prevent this is to avoid exposing the pictures at all, but it's not a acceptable solution. Therefore in a free environment like Internet we must rely in the colective action. We all must keep the eyes opened, and if a ripped pictures are unfairly claimed by an unscrupulous pretending-to-be-the-author, the webmaster or the real author must be notified. I suggest to open a topic for denouncing and exposing publicly such abuses (actually not so public, since the thieves hide themselves behind the anonymity).

[Violet]

There's not a lot you can do to stop these people.  I think it's pretty low to take someone else's art and try to pretend you drew it.  On the other hand, putting some big mark on the picture to protect it makes the picture ugly.  The only real thing to do is never post your art on the internet.  But what good is art if it's not seen? 
You should post the URL and let everyone know this person is an art thief.  Once he/she is exposed, I don't think they'll enjoy the attention anymore.

[Andrew_Fireborn]

Aye, there's a huge number of art theives on DA...  The one's I've noticed most are people ripping off Noise's various pics of Felicia... But I don't doubt that others are being stolen from.

Not to mention that the comments are usually "That's awsome," even if the picture is really really poor...

[Andy]

Yeah. That is awful. But, I have seem many people put down copyright symbols and their names on the pictures now in days so that if they ever did got stolen, the names of the people who created them are still on it and the theives can't do anything about it. That's one way to stop them. Just put your name on the pic at like a corner of it or down at the bottom of the picture and it'll be safe. I've seen plenty of people doing it on deviant art and such. I think that's the best way to do it. Put your name on it and it will be safe. Hopefully.

Andy (The one who knows on how it is to be safe.)

[Violet]

It's fairly easy to remove a signature or copyright notice with photoshop.  As Aster mentioned, it's happened with her art.  One artist friend I know started putting big watermark stamps across the middle of the pictures, so anyone removing it would also ruin the image, but that just made the pictures ugly and she eventually stopped doing it.  I think some graphics software lets you imbed information into the data of the image, so it's not visible when just viewing the image, but it's there in the properties or something, but then hardly anyone would notice it any way.

In my opinion, the best thing to do is let these people know that we all know they stole those images and didn't create them.  They want the attention and praise (which too often the real artists who've earned it don't even get), and when it turns out they get the opposite kind of attention, its no longer so appealing to swipe other people's art.

[AsterCrow]

I have notified DeviantArt about the problem and supplied the link to my actual image, but they are slow going because it is such a vast website with little help. I don't want to be an angry, slanderous jerk so I haven't said anything...although if they don't get the picture after reading my DA journal then they aren't too bright to begin with.

Even if I were to put a watermark or my name on or over the image somewhere, it can still be removed by anyone who's had enough use with Photoshop's clone tool. But then again, anyone with that much practice probably doesn't need to rip someone else's art anyway..

What I have noticed is that most of the people who rip the art really don't understand the concept of stolen artwork. Yeah they're probably doing it because they want attention and they like the art, and they know they aren't good enough artists, but they don't know how to appreciate the artwork that they're taking. I was hoping that some info on the SPC Fan Art Archive about Art Theft itself would be a strong enough deterrant for anyone with common sense and morals. Perhaps in strategically placed areas where most art can be seen at once, or under all the large versions of the images in noticable yet not-so-obnoxious text.

And I encourage anyone who owns/maintains a website with featured artwork to think about taking similar actions, SPC related or not.

Because no one likes a liar and a theif. And this Ninja Crow doesn't take any crap

[Andy]

I hear ya. Those thieves should be ashame of themselves. I know I'm no good at art in anyway. I can't even draw a figure if my life depended on it. But, I will never go out and steal someone else's artwork and pretend it's mine. That's why I always ask for someone who can do art, draw for me and I will never claim that it's mine. Never. Because that's what I am. An honest person. So, I will never do any of that stuff. The people that do have no lives what so ever and shouldn't even be on the internet if they do stuff like that.

I wish I can help ya, but since I'm not an artist and don't know much about this general area. I can't. So, good luck with this case and I hope the security will get better in this situation.

Andy (The one who hates thieves)

[AsterCrow]

One of the best things anyone can do is just to be on the lookout for people posting art that was ripped or manip'ed. That way you can contact someone about it and have the situation taken care of.

Because knowing is half the battle

[Andy]

Right. You can count on me to do the job. Once I find the theif that took your artoworks, he'll pay dearly.

Just count on me.

Andy (Theif buster)

[BurkeWorld]

I just put my name across the drawing in odd places that would make thieves have a hard time erasing it.

Burkey

[AsterCrow]

I am throwing out a challenge to anyone: give me an image to see if I can remove your sig, watermark, or whatever else you can possibly come up with, and have it look as though the original image was not changed in any way.

[Threaux]

Well here is some freeware developed by a DA member that solves the problem.
http://www.deviantart.com/view/16560903/
I doubt anyone could sucessfully edit a system embeded as deep as that, not to mention its complexity.
To see what I mean open the image in Internet Explorer, click and roll over the image (like select all) and you should see the hidden watermarks at work.

[AsterCrow]

Well here is some freeware developed by a DA member that solves the problem.
http://www.deviantart.com/view/16560903/
I doubt anyone could sucessfully edit a system embeded as deep as that, not to mention its complexity.
To see what I mean open the image in Internet Explorer, click and roll over the image (like select all) and you should see the hidden watermarks at work.

That is good for proving the work is yours, but there are some problems. First, the image has to be at least 640x480. And second, it is invisible so it doesn't deter anyone from ripping it in the first place- it's only good for proving it's yours after you somehow manage to find the thief in the vast spaces of the internet. To really put a stop to it, people need to be stopped before the theft takes place.

[Violet]

They need to be exposed and shamed out of doing it again.

[BurkeWorld]

I am throwing out a challenge to anyone: give me an image to see if I can remove your sig, watermark, or whatever else you can possibly come up with, and have it look as though the original image was not changed in any way.

I'll take that challenge, though mine should be easy to cover up.



Burkey

[Violet]

I can do that, and I'm not even a real artist.  But people who would steal someone else's work aren't real artists either.

[BurkeWorld]

I can still tell by the graininess where my name formerly was.

About 90% Ripped, almost there.

Burkey