Hey guys,
It's been almost two years since I poked my head in hear long enough to post. I came here to post art, but I saw this thread. Here is a link to the
US Copyright Office that has information that every artists/writer should learn. Copyrights in the US protect all works even those not registered. It is illegal to use anyone's art without written permission. The
Fair Use page has this interesting fact: "Acknowledging the source of the copyrighted material does not substitute for obtaining permission."
I know its not always an option to register works, or to get a copyright lawyer to sue infringers, so informing others of theft, and confronting the thief is another option. Sometimes directing them to the copyright office website and threating legal action can get results. Many countries are together in copyright treaties and honor copyrights from outside their borders. But some aren't and don't.
I'm not an Ebay user, is there a place where you can leave comments? Telling other users that the person trying to sell items with stolen art might sway them from buying.
Also, if you don't think there are enough protections for works on the web, complain to your representatives. I haven't done this, but maybe I should.
This is a serious issue, and we artists should be able to display our work without fear of infringement.
Paul
