Thursday, July 31, 2014

Blacksad artist Juanjo Guarnido visits Stuart Ng Books after Comic Con 2014

Still working on the apres-SDCC post ...

meanwhile here are some quick pics from a fun visit with Eisner and Angouleme award-winning artist Juanjo Guranido.  Junajo is best known for his art for the Blacksad  series. Stuart Ng Books was the first US bookstore to import this popular french comics series --- which is now also available in English.


Above is a copy of the 1st edition of Blacksad (in English): http://stuartngbooks.com/guarnido-blacksad-very-fine-1st-printing.html

Below is Blacksad book in stock at SNB ... signed by the artist, and includes a large, exclusive bookplate: http://stuartngbooks.com/guarnido-blacksad-signed-by-the-artist-plus-exclusive-bookplate.html


Juanjo appeared at SDCC at the Big Wow booth, and before he flew back to Paris, he made a special stop to see Stuart. Their time together at the showroom was brief, as Stuart was on his way to Dreamworks to provide the books for the last of 3 industry-related post-con signings with the artists from Secret of Kells (yes, they signed three days at our SNB booth at Comic Con too .... more on that coming soon). This was also one of the first books Junajo added to his own SNB purchases:


Here's link about this book: http://stuartngbooks.com/designing-the-secret-of-kells.html

Since we are just off the freeway, and close to both LAX and Long Beach airports, we have several patrons who will stop by when they are en route.

Stuart was able to show Juanjo some particular books and artists that appealed to Juanjo's interest in classic illustration. They often meet up at the Angouleme comics festival ... or in Paris afterwards ... but this was Juanjo's first visit to our showroom.


 "I could spend two years here!" he exclaimed as he explored the  shelves of books and made his stack to take home.

Included in his purchases was this book --  Illustrating Modern Life: The Golden Age of American Illustration from the Kelly Collection.



Here's a link with more about this title: http://stuartngbooks.com/illustrating-modern-life-the-golden-age-of-american-illustration-from-the-kelly-collection.html

After Stuart left for Dreamworks, a colleague of Juanjo's happened to arrive at the showroom, and they enjoyed catching up. You just never know who you might find browsing at SNB.

Special thanks to Juanjo for stopping by .... and for signing a stack of beautiful, large Blacksad prints for us too!

Tuesday, July 29, 2014

post coming soon on SDCC, meanwhile cosplay Maleficent and Sho Murase print

Working on Post regarding San Diego Comic Con 2014. Meanwhile, here are some online pics of folks costumed as Maleficent .... I actually saw the person in the earth-toned outfit at SDCC and it was Amazing!!!




For info on the many sketchbooks Stuart purchased at the show... and will have for sale soon on the SNB website, here's the link for Stuart Ng Books: http://stuartngbooks.com/

Meanwhile, I also got this lovely print of Maleficent at the show .. done by one of my favorite artists ... Sho Murase. http://shomurase.com/
(she was at Artists Alley, near the SNB Both)

Tuesday, July 15, 2014

copyright info for artists -- (UPDATED 11.11.17 with more resources, case stories, and warnings)


This post is updated when case studies and news stories pop up on my radar. Scroll DOWN the post -- the most recent updates at the end.
New to the blog??? See the "Your Guide" post in the current month's archive for background and highlights.

All artists should print out these FREE infographics from artist Lili Chin.
 http://www.doggiedrawings.net/
She has endured egregious cases of theft of her art.. and wants to educate artists and fans to help stop these thefts from happening to others.

She produced these inforgraphics in consultation with IP attorney Jonathan Tobin, so the info here is accurate and current. Print these out and share them with your colleagues and customers. Education empowers action. Report art theft. Comment on social media. Companies are paying attention. Protect your creative rights...

 Lili Chin copyright 101 --- story on the blog
http://stuartngbooks.blogspot.com/2016/06/copyright-101-infographic-by-lili-chin.html




Lili's infographics are available as free downloads on  her link:
 http://www.doggiedrawings.net/copyright-101

For info and links on Fan Art ... see this blog post from April 2016
http://stuartngbooks.blogspot.com/2016/04/fan-art-playground-or-minefield.html

For the most recent case studies on art theft and how to fight it:
http://stuartngbooks.blogspot.com/2016/09/combat-art-theft-case-studies-and.html

---------------------------------------------------------

There are various places on the internet where artists are sharing (horror) stories about images they posted that are stolen and used for unauthorized commercial purposes.

I'm posting here some links I've found to these sources. There are lots of benefits to the internet .. but the rules are also being made up as we all go along. Hopefully, artists can continue to be proactive about revealing these rip-offs and work together to make the rules ... before someone else imposes rules on the artists.

Here's a great Jan 2014 article by Sam Levin in the East Bay Express that lists the names of artists who fought back and the lawyers who took on these cases: “When Corporations Want Profits, They Don’t Ask for Permission”

http://m.eastbayexpress.com/oakland/when-corporations-want-profits-they-dont-ask-for-permission/Content?oid=3804611

Here's a facebook page “Designers and Illustrators Against Plagiarism”  that posts examples of rip-offs:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Designers-and-Illustrators-Against-Plagiarism/190313407647321

Here'a s blog called "You Thought We Wouldn't Notice" with commentary by a Los Angeles-based attorney
Current posts: http://www.youthoughtwewouldntnotice.com/
http://youthoughtwewouldntnotice.com/blog3/legal-protection-for-art-in-the-united-states/

Here's a website for "Copyright Collaborative" an artists collective founded by Emily Danchuk, a lawyer in Maine: http://www.copyrightcollaborative.com/

I'm always looking for feedback on these sources ... or other sources artists are using.
(image used is stock image from Dreamstime) http://www.dreamstime.com/royalty-free-stock-photography-lay-figure-sitting-copyright-symbol-image7137207

UPDATE -- JULY 29, 2014, after San Diego Comic Con
At the con, I met Dave from EFF.org (Electronic Frontier Foundation) who told me about New Media Rights, a non-profit assisting artists with intellectual property issues.

Here's info from the "about us" page of the New Media Rights website:
New Media Rights is a non-profit, independently funded program of California Western School of Lawthat provides legal services, education, and public policy advocacy for Internet users and creators.

And here's link to their website: http://newmediarights.org/

UPDATE SEPT 16, 2014 
Recent conversation with two artist friends clued me into another image theft issue --- portfolios were people are stealing online images and trying to pass these stolen items as their own art! Seems to be fairly common issue -- more than one artist has reviewed a portfolio where THEIR OWN ART appeared attributed to the thief! Looking for some links on this .. but meanwhile, a general search for "Art portfolio stolen art" brought up a very illuminating list of links ... here are some samples...

How to protect your art tips from 'Empty Easel" website (LEAVING LINK UP, BUT NOT WORKING JAN 3, 2016)
http://emptyeasel.com/2011/02/18/how-to-protect-images-of-your-artwork-from-being-stolen-online/

"What to do if someone steals your design"
http://designshack.net/articles/inspiration/what-to-do-if-someone-steals-your-design/

"How to check if your art is copied/stolen online using Google Image Search"
http://www.artpromotivate.com/2011/12/art-copied-stolen-google-image-search.html

UPDATE SEPT 24, 2014
Here's an important link with a nifty, detailed FLOW CHART on Image Use Rights from a blog called "You the Designer" http://www.youthedesigner.com/graphic-design-resources/image-usage-rights/

UPDATE OCT 11, 2014 
Blog post "Ultimate Guide to Finding and Using Images" explains why " It’s important to understand how to obtain images and properly use them because you can’t just grab any image from the Internet and place it on your blog. You could run into legal issues and intellectual property infringement, so it’s important to understand exactly what you can and cannot do." http://www.smartpassiveincome.com/how-to-find-images-blog-guide/?fb_action_ids=881537635192034&fb_action_types=og.likes

UPDATE OCT 22, 2014
link to gift industry panel discussion on impact of knock-off items:
http://www.giftsanddec.com/article/491105-industry-responds-knock-offs?nid=2069

Here's just a sample from this panel:
A victim of IP theft, Emily Martin, founder and designer of Orange Beautiful, a Chicago-based stationery company told Gifts and Decorative Accessories that she’s seen her artwork used by various individuals at parties and elsewhere on the Internet, but she didn't realize the real impact knock-offs could have until she saw one of her designs on a television competition. A contestant on the TLC network series Four Weddings had allegedly featured one of Martin's original designs for Orange Beautiful on her wedding cake, invitations and even a carved cheese. The network later ran the episode, and the winning design was the one allegedly ripped off from Orange Beautiful. Martin has tracked down the individuals who were featured on the show and has started to take legal action with a cease and desist letter.

also link for International Chamber of Commerce
http://www.iccwbo.org/

UPDATE NOV 4, 2014

In Oct 2014, photographer Daniel Foster wrote a blog post about his experience when one of his images was stolen and used on items sold on Etsy.

This is his blog post about the incident and his follow-up with Etsy legal dept ..
http://petapixel.com/2014/10/03/etsy-new-silk-road-copyright-infringement/#more-147151

The DCMA referenced in Foster's post is the "Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998" .. here is link to the PDF of the US Copyright Office Summary ...http://www.copyright.gov/legislation/dmca.pdf

And this is the link for Etsy's Copyright and Intellectual Property Policy
https://www.etsy.com/help/article/482

UPDATE NOV 10, 2014
Not exactly unauthorized use of images resources..... but here's a link to a list of 15 rules for creative success in the internet age http://boingboing.net/2014/11/04/molly-crabapples-rules-for-c.html

UPDATE NOV 27, 2014

Buzzfeed post promoting this company that will take your doodle (mostly art by kids) and turn it into a charming plush toy...http://www.buzzfeed.com/rachelzarrell/this-toy-company-will-turn-your-kids-doodles-into-an-awesome



so sweet .. EXCEPT ... the image above was STOLEN...The orignal art (below) ... and story about the theft ... on Sprinklexeater page on Diviantart http://sprinklexeater.deviantart.com/art/FAT-UNICORN-117301507


once again .. the artist knows about the theft ... but the image still being promoted via unauthorized use.

UPDATE MARCH 5, 2015  -- PRIMER ON TRADEMARK...



 This is link to a super informative blog post titled "Isn't the Internet Big Enough for More Than One Angry Asian" written by blogger Jenn from her blog "Reappropriate.com"

http://reappropriate.co/?p=7911

In this blog post, she presents two sides of an interesting case of conflict about trademark issues between two bloggers: "Angry Asian Man " and "Angry Little Asian Girl"

UPDATE MAY 22, 2015 -- STORY ON "Artist" RICHARD PRINCE GALLERY SHOW OF STOLEN IMAGES



Website "Gothamist" posted this article about so-called "Artist" Richard Prince who steals images off the internet, blows them up, puts them in a show and sells them... without credit or compensation to sources of his "work"

http://gothamist.com/2015/05/21/artist_steals_instagram_photos_sell.php

UPDATE MAY 30, 2015
This link to my blog post on this "Instagram Photos Story" includes several links on this controversy... as well as background on the previous lawsuit involving this artist: http://stuartngbooks.blogspot.com/2015/05/get-inspired-artists-rights-references.html


UPDATE JUNE 8, 2015

SUNFROG shirts (dot) com has reputation for uncredited use of internet images...

Warning post from Artist Jillian about this group...

"I know that I have posted on fb about Sunfrog before---but please dont' buy clothing from these guys. They just snap images off of the internet and drop them onto their shirts and sell them without giving profit to the actual artists or even their permission. Recently they stole Art Corgi's logo and was selling it on a shirt---now they are using other artist's work"

HOLY COW -- Sunfrog even has their own "copyright and intellectual property policy" page, where they explain how they "ooops" may be using stolen art...Here's link to their policy page:
SunFrog Shirts respects the intellectual property rights of others, and we expect our users to do the same. We do not have an opportunity to prescreen every design that is submitted to our site for sale, so occasionally, user may inadvertently or deliberately submit and display content that breaches the SunFrog Shirts Terms & Conditions for art submissions.
We have adopted the following general policy toward copyright and intellectual property infringement in accordance with U.S. intellectual property laws, including the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998. Notice & Takedown Requests should be sent to our designated agent to receive notification of claimed infringement at the address
Nothing there about getting artist any compensation for shirts/images sold in the meantime...
Here's link to their policy page: http://www.sunfrogshirts.com/copyright/

UPDATE JUNE 28, 2015

LA Times story on how music copyright protected on You Tube
Los Angeles Times op-ed story by Stephen Witt is excellent primer on how profits are made from background music in uploaded videos. You Tube uses its automatic copyright detection service to flag  videos and notify music copyright holders... launching option for revenue stream via ads that benefits publishing companies Google (owner of You Tube) and musician .. but not the folks who upload the video.
My question is ....  Why can't there be something like this for artists??? Perhaps a code or symbol to imbed when uploading an original image???
Read the op-ed piece here.http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-0628-witt-youtube-copyright-20150628-story.html

UPDATE JUNE 29, 2015

Great business tips for artists
Link here is for "Maria Brophy Art Business Consultant" website. This post showed up on my Facebook freed via an artist .. and there are some great tips here how to respond to requests for free art for charity event, etc. Always remember your VALUE before you give away anything. You have to make a living. Help your art help you make that possible.... http://mariabrophy.com/business-of-art/how-to-turn-a-charity-request-for-free-art-into-a-paid-sale.html


UPDATE JULY 4, 2015

Lawyers who take image theft cases Law firms are starting to take more cases to protect artists from image theft. Here's a May 2015 profile in LA Weekly on a firm in Los Angeles: http://www.laweekly.com/news/if-corporate-america-steals-your-creative-work-these-hipster-lawyers-stop-them-5589472  For Artists who worry that they can't afford legal help ... Here's an excerpt ...
Burroughs and Doniger have represented artists, designers, photographers, writers and other creatives in more than 1,000 cases in the last decade.
They have an approach to copyright cases that makes them somewhat unusual: They often work on contingency, meaning they don't get paid unless the client wins — commonly in a settlement — which allows artists and entrepreneurs to pursue legal action they otherwise couldn't afford. Burroughs says copyright infringement cases can be drawn out, and when they go all the way through trial can cost up to $3 million.

UPDATE JULY 12, 2015

Online art theft via website "WallPart" website
This link has been making the rounds among artists... it's an effort to shunt down the page called "WallPart.com". The WallPart website posts images from artists and claims ... CLAIMS .. to re-direct orders for these items back to the artists. It's a lie... artist have found their art there being sold on the site WITHOUT their permission ... and that's why the same artists are fighting back. Here's the link for the Petition to take down the site...https://www.change.org/p/remove-wallpart-com-stealing-people-s-work-without-persmission

UPDATE JULY 16, 2015

USE CAUTION if you visit the "WallPart" website directly. There are reports in the artist community that there may be a computer virus active on the official WallPart website address. There is also chatter that the website may be using art orders to collect emails and personal information. I have not gone to the website myself so these warnings are only anecdotal .. but it comes from messages circulating among artists warning each other about this site -- better safe than sorry. (the change.org petition address is fine)

UPDATE JULY 20, 2015

Entire post with lots of links and resources on Next Great Copyright Act...
This was follow-up to first post here on July 17....

Here is the update from JULY 17, 2015 

Next Great Copyright Act (NGCA)--
This alert showed up on my radar via an artists group I follow...Posting excerpts here for the record...

Artists Alert: From the Illustrators Partnership 

The Return of Orphan Works
Part 1: "The Next Great Copyright Act" 

JULY 1, 2015 
For more than a year Congress has been holding hearings for the drafting of a brand new US Copyright Act. At its heart is the return of Orphan Works. 
Twice, Orphan Works Acts have failed to pass Congress because of strong opposition from visual artists, spearheaded by the Illustrators Partnership.
Because of this, the Copyright Office has now issued a special call for letters regarding the role of visual art in the coming legislation. 


Included bullet points for NGCA


Here are the Basic Facts
"The Next Great Copyright Act" would replace all existing copyright law.
It would void our Constitutional right to the exclusive control of our work.
It would "privilege" the public's right to use our work.
It would "pressure" you to register your work with commercial registries.
It would "orphan" unregistered work. 
It would make orphaned work available for commercial infringement by "good faith" infringers.
It would allow others to alter your work and copyright these "derivative works" in their own names. 
It would affect all visual art: drawings, paintings, sketches, photos, etc.; past, present and future; published and unpublished; domestic and foreign. 

This alert also urged artists to comply with Copyright Office request for letters. Deadline to submit letters is July 23, 2015. More info .. including link to submit on-line letter.. here: http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Artists-Alert--The-Return-of-Orphan-Works-Part-1.html?soid=1102063090742&aid=3vozerBiCPE

UPDATE JULY 30, 2015 ... updated Feb 2016 link to report of settle ment


Article from Los Angeles Times on the copyright case for "Happy Birthday" .. a simple song with a complex copyright history...http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-birthday-song-20150730-story.html#page=1
HERE'S LINK TO FEB 10 2016 settlement article... http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-happy-birthday-lawsuit-settlement-public-domain-20160208-story.html

UPDATE AUGUST 6, 2015

"This Website Will Steal Your Photos, Then Hack Your Computer" By Patrick Hall
Link for more on the Wallpart theft of internet images website. This post is from FStoppers .. a site for photographers. This post shows how Wallpart exists not to sell prints.. but as bait to lure in photographers and artists and get their personal information.


UPDATE SEPT 9, 2015

An internet image good news story...via this image by artist Jeff Victor.....


This quote from Jeff Victor artist arrived on my radar today .. "MY MIND IS BLOWN. Robert Downey Jr himself actually shared my evolution of his work. This is just...holy (###)...I can't even brain right now."

Jeff had posted this image on his blog... and via the ways of the internet.. it came to the attention of Robert Downey Jr.  and it arrived 9.9.15 on Downey's own Facebook page (with 25 million followers)....https://www.facebook.com/robertdowneyjr

The internet isn't just a platform for art theft. It can also connect artists with credit... recognition ... support .. and appreciation. Not to mention a fun fan boy moment .. in person and by proxy.

The post on Downey's FB was brief.. and sadly didn't mention the artist in the text... HOWEVER -- and IMPORTANT NOTE TO ARTISTS HERE!!!! ... Jeff's blog address is featured on the image... making it EASY to credit.. and FIND.. the artist. Help your art .. help make your name! (to 25 million people one day.. it can happen)

Congrats Jeff! See more of his art .. and his nice write up about this image.. on his blog "Wicked Crispy" http://www.jeffvictor.blogspot.com/

UPDATE SEPT 29, 2015

Flurry of online posting of this You Tube clip .... it's an interview with "artist Lee O'Hanlon"..
Social media shining a spotlight on this egregious case of art theft. The real artist behind the works is Brandon Dicks... This lowlife Lee just downloads the art of Brandon Dicks and slaps his own name on it. The jerk even did a book! Comments on this you tube clip rip the mask off this rip off ... Use this link not so much to hear the useless interview.. but to read the parade of scathing comments and defense of fellow creative rights...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NX9XtwipHzY

UPDATE OCT 24, 2015
"Creator's Legal Program"
I've just learned about a new legal service for indie artists/creators. It's a monthly-fee membership called 'Creators' Legal Program." that gives artists access to legal counsel that specializes in copyright and creative issues. The service is provided by a Counsel for Creators, a law firm based in Southern California. I know one artist who has been using the service for about a month and has been really happy with it. I'm going to try to learn more about this service and will update here on this post...http://clp.counselforcreators.com/

UPDATE DEC 14, 2015
This chart arrived on my internet radar. So impressed with the clarity of info and format.. I contacted creator Ginger Davis Allman and got her permission to cross post on my blog.

Here's link to her in depth article with  more details on the chart topics: http://thebluebottletree.com/copyright-guidelines-polymer-clay-artists/

UPDATE DEC 29, 2015

"A Closer Look at the New Amazon Handmade Section"
Article by crafter Marnie on her "Marnie's Creations" website http://www.creationsfromthehart.com/
.... she posted it in Oct 2015, but it's popped up again via social media, so am sharing here as a Dec update.

This quote from Marnie's article, with language from the Amazon website, is chilling....
You know what actually got me to immediately delete all of my products? It was this, copied from the Amazon website. License: You grant us a royalty-free, non-exclusive, worldwide, perpetual, irrevocable right and license to use, reproduce, perform, display, distribute, adapt, modify, re-format, create derivative works of, and otherwise commercially or non-commercially exploit in any manner, any and all of Your Materials, and to sublicense the foregoing rights to our Affiliates and operators of Amazon Associated Properties. Now if you’re thinking of selling your handmade items I want you to read that again and when you’re done, a third time. I did. I read it multiple times mainly because I could not believe that they are so blatant about it. Yes, we have the right to exploit you. You give us this right. This right is irrevocable. Well crap. I had 50 something products listed. I did a batch delete immediately after reading this. It might not even matter because they were there and Amazon now owns those product pictures and designs. Fortunately in the few hours it was up nothing sold so perhaps Amazon won’t have any interest at all in my designs.

Read the entire article for more...

DEC 31, 2015

"The Devaluation of Music: It's Worse Than You Think" by Craig Havighurst for Cuepoint
This article is on music... but many of the points here apply to visual art as well...

JAN 6, 2016
Article "How 3DPrinting Threatens our Patent System" by Timothy Holbrook in Scientific American
 http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-3d-printing-threatens-our-patent-system/ Like the music business model, where streaming flatforms took off before the industry could catch up, the new technolog of 3D printing, and the increasing access along with decreasing costs, could impact patent law:
"Each printed copy of an invention is a lost potential sale to the patent holder. But, to sue for infringement, the patent owner would need to be aware that someone is using a 3D printer to make the patented invention. And that’s a very tall order since these printers are widely dispersed across households and businesses."

UPDATE JAN 21, 2016
Several Posts in Jan 2016 on art, copyright and value..
comic below by Dan Dougherty, Beardo Comics http://www.beardocomics.com/#!beardo/cxff



UPDATE 2.15.16

Recent article in Los Angeles Times reports tentative settlement to end legal dispute over copyright claim to "Happy Birthday" Song..http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-happy-birthday-lawsuit-settlement-public-domain-20160208-story.html

UPDATE 2.16.16
Blog post by artist Manuel Carmona on the touchy subject of fan art prints. Worth reading for the topic.. and to see the tirade of comments it unleashed.

Also a video clip on the Fan Art issue.. this from Chris Oatley site

UPDATE 3.3.16

Article March 1, 2106 by Alice MacGregor on internet tech and innovations website "The Stack" with info on You Tube policy changes for copyright enforcement

UPDATE 3.5.16
Podcast "Adventures in Design" interviews artist Jeral Tidwell. In this nearly hour-long episode, you'll learn case studies of how he protects his copyrighted images and is actually making more money from enforcing his rights than selling his work! 

UPDATE 5.7.16
Article "Understanding Copyright Law: Pitches, Facts, Characters and the Ambigiuities of Section 102" by Gregory Bernstein.... 
June 2015 on Filmmaker Magazine website.
A good recap of fundamentals.. and also references Bernstein's text book

 "Understanding the Business of Entertainment, the Legal and Business Essentials All Filmmakers Should Know"

UPDATE 5.14.16
Los Angeles Times article "You Don't Really 'Buy' Digital Goods" by David Lazarus.
Yet another example of how the internet retailers play fast and loose with the copyright rules when it makes them money...
Here's an excerpt: "A study to be released Friday by researchers at Case Western Reserve University School of Law and UC Berkeley finds that "a sizable percentage of consumers" have no clue about what they're really purchasing when they "buy" digital content. "They mistakenly believe they can keep those goods permanently, lend them to friends and family, give them as gifts, leave them in their wills, resell them and use them on their device of choice," it says. In other words, they think buying something means buying something. But in the magical land of digital content, ownership is relative. "The reality is that for many digital transactions, there are restrictions on activities you might think come with ownership," said Aaron Perzanowski, a Case Western Reserve University law professor and co-author of the study."

UPDATE 5.8.16
post on casual attitude about copying art of other artists... (graphic via "rundie's room")


UPDATE 6.11.6
FREE Infographics on Copyright ... by artist Lili Chin

These infographics are free on Lili's website. http://blog.doggiedrawings.net/post/145814382301
She offers them as an educational tool for artists and fans.


UPDATE 6.12.16

6.10.16 Blog post "Intellectual Property II: The Wrath of Con(s)" by lawyer Set Polansky. Where he presents a long post on that continuing topic of the vast grey realm of fan art. Worth a read...

Here's an excerpt...
This past weekend I was privileged enough to attend a wonderful pop culture convention that shall remain nameless. While participating in the excellent panel discussions, film screenings, and photo ops, I crystalized an idea I’d been flirting with for a while now: How to attack the problem of copyright infringement by vendors at conventions.
All it took was a walk through “Artist Alley” to really understand the magnitude of the problem. Without exaggeration or hyperbole, 70-80% of the vendors and artists were selling infringing intellectual property (‘IP’).......
So what’s the answer? Is there an answer? Who is the most at risk here, and how can everyone – artists, vendors, attendees, and organizers – protect themselves?
In the discussions below, I’ve attempted to provide some suggestions intended to help artists, vendors, and con-goers alike navigate their way through this … ridiculousness.

UPDATE 6.20.16

Circa 2011 blog post "Red Bubble is a Scam!"
Another case of unauthorized use of images .. an artist found her art posted on Red Bubble and credited to another artist. The legit artists friends and fans rallied.. and joined her in reporting the theft. Within days, the unauthorized page was removed from the website. As discouraging as these reports are.. and as time consuming as it is to document and report the theft.... it's vital to take action. Due to the rapid turnover of things on the internet..  for now, the thieves will always be one step ahead. The websites are getting wiser though.. and the more times the legit creative artists.. and their fans who PURCHASE the art/products... report theft.. the more the companies realize it's in their interest to remove violators. There has been some progress.. and still far to go. This link showed up in comments on this recent case.. the link is to a blog post circa 2011by Tore999 about an artist's struggles with RedBubble and the lack of response. Worth reading to see the history...http://redbubble-scam.blogspot.com/2011/09/redbubble.html


UPDATE 7.26.16

TUESDAY BASSEN v. ZARA
Fans of artist Tuesday Bassen http://tuesdaybassen.com/ 
 alerted her to theft of her work. 

You can read more about the case on her Instagram post https://www.instagram.com/p/BIEGImxgFKe/?hl=en

Since then, the case has exploded on social media. The bad news is.. of course.. these cases are difficult to stop. The good news is.. that FANS/customers are getting wise to the damage this art theft does to the artists they love.. and they are rattling cages at the retailers involved.

Here's Zara's response (Zara is owned by "Inditex"... http://www.vogue.co.uk/news/2016/07/21/zara-responds-copyright-claims-tuesday-bassen

"Inditex has the utmost respect for the individual creativity of all artists and designers and takes all claims concerning third party intellectual property rights very seriously," a spokesperson for the brand told us. "Inditex was recently contacted by Tuesday Bassen's lawyers who noted the use of illustrations in some badges sourced externally and on clothes in its group stores. The company immediately opened an investigation into the matter and suspended the relevant items from sale. Inditex's legal team is also in contact with Tuesday Bassen's lawyers to clarify and resolve the situation as swiftly as possible."

This case is also featured on the website "ShopArtTheft.com"..http://www.shoparttheft.com/
This site, by artist Adam J. Kurtz, http://www.adamjkurtz.com/about/ 
features side-by-side comparisons of unauthorized use of artist-owned images.

Another artist .. GEMMA CORRELL http://www.gemmacorrell.com/

has been repeatedly stolen from...and posted this alert about retailer "Piece of Cake" and the company's unauthorized use of her work.

If you like an artists designs... seek them out and buy directly from them... Here's Gemma's original shirt


See more of  Gemma's work on these AUTHORIZED online stores from her website http://www.gemmacorrell.com/shop/

If you see art you know and love at a retail outlet... let the artist know.

If you're an artist... double down on branding. Put your name on everything. Educate your fans about copyright protections. 

We're all in this together...

UPDATE 7.31.16

T-Shirt company TeeChip has been so blatant about facilitating commercial use of stolen images, it has inspired its own "Shame on TeeChip" Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/shameonteechip/
This community has over 1,000 members. Posts on this  FB page document the ongoing struggle by artists to get their stolen images removed from  the site.

Also arriving on that feed.. this article about upcoming multi-million dollar lawsuit by well known "Life is Good" design company.. also stolen from by TeeChip. At last, some larger companies are taking action

http://www.universalhub.com/2016/life-good-says-t-shirt-company-bad?nocache=1

With larger companies are taking action against image theft, there's hope that solutions can be found for this serious situation. Art theft as a business model. It's been around for too long...Here's a March 2014 article about this from Art Law Journal..http://artlawjournal.com/copyright-infringement-high-benefit-low-risk-business-model/

UPDATE 8.5.16

Two Blog posts on "Derivative Works" These links provide a primer on this vital creative rights issue for indie artists and fans. 

Painter Eli Halpin


Artist Lili Chin

Excerpt from Lili's post...
EXAMPLE 3: Bootleg dog breed t-shirts.  Sometimes these designs appear on Sunfrog T-shirts, and other print-on-demand online stores that feature dog breed designs. I have been in frequent communication with Sunfrog Tshirts Legal Dept - their staff are on the lookout for copies of my artwork and they are quick to take them down off the site. It is a neverending game of whack-a-mole.
100% LEGITIMATE dog breed t-shirts by me can be purchased from www.doggietops.com



Petition on "Change.Org" ... launched by Lili's fans... to raise more awareness of Kohl's cold treatment of this warmhearted talent, fighting on the front lines for the Intellectual Property Rights of all indie artists... https://www.change.org/p/kohl-s-and-mudd-stop-stealing-the-work-of-independent-artists


UPDATE 8.8.16

"Art Copyright Explained" article by Isaac Kaplan on Artsy.com website. Article is the first 4 pages of this link.


UPDATE 8.12.16

by artist Susie Ghahremani http://boygirlparty.com/splash/welcome.html


 many case studies in this post. Also why fans should support artists. Lists many bullet points to ponder about culture of art theft and how to fight it.

UPDATE 8.22.16

Artist Lili Chin is fighting yet another round to protect her rights. She is the victim of a particularly egregious case of art theft... by major department store Kohl's...





details of the case in her blog post...

UPDATE 9.4.16

Combat Art Theft ... post here on the blog with latest news on this important topic. 



UPDATE 9.8.16

Article 9.7.16 by Seth Combs in San Diego City Beat "Local Artist Claims Francesca's Ripped Off Her Art"
http://sdcitybeat.com/article-17782-local-artist-claims-francesca%E2%80%99s-ripped-off-her-art.html

UPDATE 9.17.16

9.14.16 post by Kiki and Company "What do you do when Target steals your design"

art by Kiki and Company
Target bag with unauthorized use of Kiki and Company art:

Target theft of pin art by Weird Empire
https://twitter.com/weird_empire/status/764622231636815873

UPDATE 10.22.16


Fanbase Press Interview on Art Theft and how Indie Artists can protect themselves

UPDATE 2.24.17

Broadway Smash Hamilton settles lawsuit over unauthorized merchandise..

Possible art licensing implications post acquisition of DevantArt by Wix

UPDATE 11.11.17
Link for copyright basics, with a focus on photography. This post written by lawyer Carolyn E. Wright. This link is for part one.. there is a link for part 2 at the end of the post. This post appeared on blog for photographer Ken Kaminesky.