[Egg Beater]

Also, if you were to steal someone's work and use it as your own for profit in some manner, and you're discovered as a fraud (either by the original artist, or anyone else for that matter), you could be facing some very serious legal troubles. A lot of artists take great pride in their work, and especially these days are realizing that they are too easily taken advantage of with the world of the Internet. They are getting more and more fierce, and more and more ready to protect their copyright with legal action -- with very large consequences.

I think the answer to your question is: common sense. The same thing that prevents you from stealing a chocolate bar from a convenience store when you're hungry.

[Steelwind]

Actually, the answer is, they do it. But they get caught. There have been more than a few posts on this forum (out of many many art forums) alerting one of the members that their art has been stolen.

Those who respect the ownership of art don't have a problem pointing out the theft of that art.

Steelwind

[joejoe]

I was just curious. What is to prevent someone from downloading these great art pieces from here and claiming them as their own.

Or even trying to sell them on Ebay?

Thanks

[makototaramoto]

some people use java to protect people from saving a picture using a right click. But what do people get outta of stolen art work anyway?...

mercer

[Light]

What is to prevent someone from buying a print and scanning it in and claiming it as their own? Or even selling it own ebay?

What is to prevent someone from getting road rage and crashing into your car as you drive down the road minding your own business killing you instantly?

This question is stupid. But honestly not really anything. There are many artist though and most will recognize where a piece comes from.

I think if someone would download a piece of work and claim they did it would be mostly harmless and stupid.

If someone sells work on ebay and is actually able to make a profit which is someone doubtful to me in the first place then the original artist would find of it eventually and could sue this person for all profits and probably more.

Also, for work to be printed properly generally requires huge resolutions.

Basically though I don't many people are concerned about that here. You need to be mega popular before that becomes an interest.

[hunter_rose0]

First, you don't post the .psd (or whatever the file name is for the program that you created it in), you don't post at full size, or at least not all of the image at full size. Second If an unskilled artist tries to steal anothers work you need just look at all of the theif artist's other woirks and it will become obvious that they did not create the stolen art. Also 99.9% of artists make art because they like to create origional works, not just because they want to make good art. so there is a slim chance of anyone trying to steal it.

[B0b]

its staring you right in the face if you use photoshop...

Watermark

i use it for all my pics posted on the web which i think are important enough to warrant it

[ October 29, 2002: Message edited by: B0b ]

[Jin]

Though a person's work is copyrighted "automatically", it's good to put a copyright notice on it. Watermarking helps, and there are other ways to lessen the chances of your work being stolen, especially by those without enough knowledge to get around those ways.

Better yet, if you really want to have some muscle behind your copyright, it's my understanding that it needs to be registered. In other words, to take someone to court and have a chance of winning, you need to register the copyright.

What's to stop thieves? Ultimately, the same thing that stops people from software piracy, stealing a car to go on a joy ride, shop lifting, or any other abuse of what doesn't belong to them.

Either it's because they don't steal things in the first place, or because they don't relish the consequences if they get caught.

[joejoe]

Thanks for the info guys.

So a picture that is posted on this forum by some random guy is "automatically" copyrighted? That would answer my question if so.

[thinkwink]

"automatically" copyrighted on any forum or any place... If you can prove you were the original artist and you didn't sign away the copyright, then you totally own the copyright wherever or however the image is displayed.

[gigatron]

I remember not so long ago some dumb ass selling someone's work (a sijun) on ebay...

[Light]

Regarding the copyright.. This is not exactly true! You do own copyright as soon as published albiet adding a (c) notice helps however if yuo don't register this (at least with software and other goods) within like 6 months then it is defaulted into the public domain.

I'm not sure the exact intricacies of the law. Baiscally you may own the (C) but you can not enforce it.

However the greater point is that most people who buy artwork want to know a little about the artist and if you are ripping off the artist then it will show.

Only place I can think one could get away with art theif would be selling materials to people who couldn't tell a Picasso from a Rembrandt! And these people might get interested and find out...

It's like if you hear a good piece of music then you find out who the artist is! I know of a few ways one could probably get away with this but honestly I think the whole point is stupid.

[Steven Stahlberg]

Watermarks and javascripts can both be gotten around as easily as pressing Ctrl+Print Scrn, so they're pretty useless.
And loosing copyright within 6 months if I don't register my work? hehe, not true. Wishful thinking from those who like to rip maybe...
As the creator, an original work is yours forever unless you sign something to say otherwise. Whether you display it or not, with or without the c or r. The c is most useful as a psychological deterrent, the r is useful to protect ideas and brandnames etc...
PROVING you're the creator of it may become an issue, but normally it isn't, normally it's quite easy to prove.

[AliasMoze]

Your work is NOT yours forever. It's life +50 years for individuals. Registering provides protection, but any tangible work is protected whether or not it has a notice (in most countries). And yes, you CAN enforce it. If you're that concerned, if your work is so fantastically mind-blowing that you think it warrants theft, then adding a notice can't hurt: Copyright 2002 by Joe Artist.

This is all academic. The average artist places way more value on his work than someone else would. If you want people to see your work, then post it. If not, then sit in your secure but lonely cave and keep your masterpieces to yourself. The only way to prevent art theft is to not show it.

Plus, illegal activity goes on accidentally all the time. On Sijun, when an artist looks at a painting by Artist X and does a painting based on it (without explicit permission), a derivative of the original, then the new work is illegal. I guess we�d better call the cops.

In closing, chances are that your art is not worth stealing. If somebody does and turns a profit, then go after him if you think it's worth it. Ultimately, though, do you even care? For example, Mullins did a repaint of my painting (I think last year) and is now planning on making a poster of the derivative. Illegal! Sound the horns! Baloney.

[ November 01, 2002: Message edited by: AliasMoze ]

[Dr. Bang]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Steven Stahlberg:
Watermarks and javascripts can both be gotten around as easily as pressing Ctrl+Print Scrn, so they're pretty useless.
And loosing copyright within 6 months if I don't register my work? hehe, not true. Wishful thinking from those who like to rip maybe...
As the creator, an original work is yours forever unless you sign something to say otherwise. Whether you display it or not, with or without the c or r. The c is most useful as a psychological deterrent, the r is useful to protect ideas and brandnames etc...
PROVING you're the creator of it may become an issue, but normally it isn't, normally it's quite easy to prove.

---

theres a service on the net that protect The print screen thingie. but u have to pay though, its been used in microsoft.terraserver.com i think

[Chile]

*wonders for a second how anyone could claim a composition as their own*

for that matter, how would that get you any further ahead in the grand scheme of things?

Example:
if I stole someone's work from here and gained employment from it, how would I reproduce the same quality of work, conceptually and/or technically?

The idea of being a designer or an artist is so contrary to the act of theft. Yes, we borrow ideas and skills to mature our abilities, but plagarism benefits no one.