It's simple, really. Please use your own images to represent your work. Don't lift images from other artists, unless you have their express permission. If you do, you're hurting them and misrepresenting yourself!
Case in point - something that happens to me all too often - I was informed by a very nice person who is a member of Etsy that another Etsy seller is using my images in her banner and avatar for her shop. The image is of a bead set that I made and sold years ago to someone other than the seller who is using the image. The seller, whose Etsy page is here, appears to be a jewelry designer. Her shop looks relatively new, as she doesn't have many sales or any feedback from buyers.
Those beads were very special to me - as all my beads are. They are pieces of my soul.
It might be different if this were a customer of mine who made jewelry out of beads she bought from me, and had asked to use the image, but this is not the case. She is using my work to represent herself and her own work. This is misrepresentation and copyright infringement.
Here are the beads as I photographed them. You can see that her image is directly lifted from my own. The set is called Moonlit Magenta.
Please, people, when you do this it hurts. Take the time to learn how to take good pics of your own work. Don't steal images from someone else who has already put in that time and effort.
Also, please don't comment and tell me I need to watermark my images. I have done that and it doesn't deter the thieves - it just makes my pics look bad. They can find a way around it - believe me.
Anyway - there you have it again. Just another installment of Kandice's Seemingly Weekly Copyright Infringement Notification Service and subsequent gnashing of teeth.
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Blech. I'm sorry this keeps happening to you. It sucks. Trying tot hink of it as a compliment probably does not help.
ReplyDeleteIts such a shame that this happens (and too often, I'm told...lucky, so far) but I think you can report it and stop her from using your work & images to represent her own shop! And I don't like watermarks, either.
ReplyDeleteThat is so frustrating! I hope you contacted her about it.
ReplyDeleteI understand your frustration, and wish I had a solution for it! On a more positive note, saw your beads this morning, and just wanted to say how achingly beautiful they are, really "fixed me up" for the day!!
ReplyDeleteYour beads are lovely.. hope u get a relief from your heartache...I never understand how some people are so uncaring about others' feelings...and what about their self-respect ???
ReplyDeleteKandice, I'm so sorry that yet again your work has been misused by someone else. It's a shame that someone on a place like Etsy, devoted to the handmade artist, would do such a low thing.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to post about this too, so the news gets out.
-Su
Kandice that is soo wrong, I'm sorry it's happened to you and so blatantly as well. How do Etsy handle something like that? I would have thought they would insist she takes the image down.
ReplyDeleteMan, they just won't leave you alone, will they? It stinks that this keeps happening. But at least you know that your beads are just to gorgeous and your photos are just too perfect to resist, I guess.
ReplyDeleteI know it does not make it better, but it looks like from her feedback that she BOUGHT her banner and avatar, so she might have been duped and not know the beads are yours.
ReplyDeleteYou certainly have my sympathies. It definitely is Not fun when people steal your work, and this does sound clearly like a case of copyright infringement. OTOH, though, if the person who had Bought the beads from you and then took a picture of them were to use the image on their site would you still be offended?
ReplyDeleteI had a conversation yesterday where we concluded that when one purchases art, the value lies in the purchaser (or user)'s interaction with the art rather than in the actual artifact and the materials it's made of. I don't honestly know how that relates to an etsy seller using someone else's work to promote their shop, but I always find these "meta" questions about art to be fascinating.
It is hard when we see our work so displayed. I think others just want to represent themselves well never getting that in fact they are doing just the opposite. Your work is amazing and beautiful I can understand why someone would want to use it.. but you are right.. stealing is stealing..
ReplyDeleteKeep up the beautiful work.. I come to your page just to soak in the beauty
Again?!?! My dear, you just have to start taking ugly pictures. :)
ReplyDeleteI feel your pain, believe me. It sucks completely to have someone just casually decide to steal work you put your heart and soul into. I am dealing with it also, but just with my written work. Hey, that's straight from my heart and soul too, and someone else out there thinks it's okay to try and profit from it, or just have a blog the lazy way with my well thought out posts and paid for stock photos. Watermarking didn't help in my case either; the thief just goes ahead and posts my work on their blog with my name right on the pics. Here I go again with cease and desist letters and takedown notices...
ReplyDeleteMaybe Etsy can help you with this? I'm sure they would frown on another seller doing such an unethical thing. Good luck with this.