thefearmaster
161370
3821
80
6 months ago i made this fanart and it was a great memory since it hit front page and thanks to imgur i got a couple of concept gigs that helped me financially at the time since i was sick and couldn't afford the meds "im healthy as a mofo now and financially stable "yay!!!" :D so i wanted to say thanks for the help imgur <3 , today i got many private msgs in my inbox telling me about my work getting stolen by this website (teechip.com) , going deeper into investigation it turned out they steal regularly from other artists
stolen work from another artist
what can i do to stop this website from doing this ? i don't think i can do any legal action since i live in egypt and our court system is corrupt and wouldn't give a single flying fuck , also if you do art and your work gets around please check the website and see if your art is there or if you know a friend \ artist you follow advise them to do so.
idk what to do i filed DMCA claim on fb and fingers crossed something might happen tomorrow :(
thank you in advance .
****UPDATE*****
they blocked me on fb and removed my posts on their page alongside people who called them out for their bullshit :(
12-20-2016 latest update :
they took my artdown but still the website is still up and still selling tons of prints and merchandise stolen from other artists , im working with multiple people to find a solution for this issue also i have notified many artists about the sitiuation and many got their work taken down , i will update when i get home from work ,
THANK YOU SO MUCH imgur , you helped me and many artists by being super awesome , and thanks for everyone who inboxed me with helpful insight , it means alot to me and helped sooo much .
as for my print shop feel free to inbox me if u want any prints since many asked for them , i can't post it here its not why i made this post i want to help other artists to not fall in the same sitiuation and raise awareness .
thank you <3
mohamed saad
veritasgear
Holy fuck I just saw this and was wondering if it was stolen. I've had my own stuff stolen before. Crowsmack gets her art stolen frequently.
Icantthinkofausernamesothisiswhatimdoingforit
Only legal advice I'm comfortable giving.. talk to a lawyer not to random people on the interweb
geochro
Put a huge watermark on all your work posted online from now on. Dont know about what has already been taken, but secure your future works.
BunnyKing95
1. Watermark tyre shit out of it. 2. Inform the website your work is copyrighted and they face legal charges if you are not given your cut
Postoolio711
Fuck those Facebook pages, they are literal cancer.
Eridith
I'll buy from ya, OP. Even if it's a small amount of help..
dangerousDoc
If they are American based report it to Facebook / the manufacturer if they are not the same person
GermanSabio
I'm on it.......
RaccoonInMyPants
Try to contact Facebook with proof. They might suspend their accounts because they are profiting on your work.
nouseforaheart
Try this.
troy11998822
To the front page with you sir! Imgurian help is on the way!
nudistpriest
I'll bombard the comment section with theft accusations if everyone else does!
drazk
Put penises all over your artwork from now on.
thefearmaster
>implying i don't draw with the 69px benis brush :^)
TempestWest
Find the country/region they operate in and contact a lawyer in that area
Angelova33
Most Copyright offices work internationally and copyright law is valid everywhere. It's just an arduous chase if doing it alone sans atty.
cherophobia
I commented on their page. Hopefully people see. I hope everything gets sorted out for you
CoolHandRK
I posted this link on every FB post of theirs it let me see without liking them first.
Plarzoid2
Facebook has a Copyright Infringement Reporting form. Good Luck! https://www.facebook.com/help/www/399224883474207
themcfish
Seems they've taken down your artwork. Other people's work is still there though, most likely also stolen. This page is getting wrecked
Tblaster00
Can I buy this from you instead? I just started playing DS3 and this looks amazing.
thefearmaster
sure , its in my artprint shop https://www.inprnt.com/gallery/thefearmaster/
temppol
Shit dude, you got any tutorials or something? Your art's amazing.
thefearmaster
thank you , not tutorial but mostly speedpaint vids
deltora97
well we gotta try and get you to the front page so people can see this first!, i don't know what to do but this is all i can do for you.
MisterQuestion
Start a facebook page. Spread awareness. Post and get support. Shut those thieving mofos down
thefearmaster
i do have one , posted also there i hope things work out
bacslash
Call a Hitman
hesaidsarcastically
"Who is this?" Hi I'm calling because a friend told me to. Is everything alright there? "Uh..yeah. Bye" okay, bye.
thefearmaster
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1cABhVaw8s
TheMonsterKing
set up a better store maybe?
thefearmaster
i already have one https://www.inprnt.com/gallery/thefearmaster/
TheMonsterKing
yikes! it's really shitty they're profiting from your awesome stuff. wish there was more i could do to help
TheMonsterKing
sorry it's all I got ;(
namelessfish
This makes me so angry I'm so sorry op! My bf makes props and his "friend" would paint his/others' work and never give credit despite the1/2
namelessfish
talks, and though the guy makes props too his own actual work makes up a small percentage of his collection he posts on FB/etsy/etc, and 2/2
namelessfish
The worst part is he's got tons of followers and big companies are noticing him even though he steals pretty much everything he posts, 3/3
namelessfish
despite some of the prop community realizing what he was up to. Fing POS thieves need to be put in their place. I'm sorry this happened op!
antifolkhero
Look into sending them a DMCA takedown notice. https://nppa.org/page/5617
spookyactionatadistance
Ya but the art is of a intellectual property which is not owned by the artist.
antifolkhero
He still create the actual artwork, I assume. Let the people who stole it argue that it's a derivative work.
boobphysicist
yeah but the artist isnt proffiting he made it as fan art the other dude selling would be the one to get into trouble
WallacenGromit
Dark souls is dank shit. Get a lawyer and talk to them about this.
DJThuglifeSupreme
Make sure that lawyer praises the sun
KingOfTheInterwebz
Dank Souls
eykompis
Worst case scenario the lawyer says 'Git gud'. Best case scenario he praises the mf sun and becomes a sunbro.
TheManSpider
Ah! Solaire! So bright yet such an incandescent layer of lawyers wrapped in the spirit of the sunbro.
Devan24x7
Watermark that shit.
thefearmaster
they take it off
DarkBusterBaron
Burn their house down.
Devan24x7
Sue that shit.
HeeHaww
they take that off too.
thefearmaster
and i cri ;-;
superking32
Make the watermark big as shit
oghunter10
Should send me a link so I can fuck on there comments with a big chunk of imagurians
DarkBusterBaron
Them right now https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=aJ5TzaC0E2k
Wlfpck
https://www.facebook.com/LoveZeldaForever/
Wlfpck
https://www.facebook.com/Legend-of-Zelda-Fans-1662753890640679/
Angelova33
Here's the zelda one. https://www.facebook.com/LoveZeldaForever
DarkBusterBaron
There was a guy who posted about finding personal information from secret Santa posts wonder what he can dig up if someone tags him.
Wlfpck
They opened multiple teechip.com campaigns. It looks like this is a fundraiser site? So looks like they exploiting that avenue.
thefearmaster
the thing is they keep making pages with "videogame name" (lover) (fans) everytime , i think going after the website should be my goal now
Wlfpck
Pretty much this.
veritasgear
Yep, dark souls fans, bloodborne fans. And they have all these people fooled.
Sintanan
Let 4chan know. While anons aren't a personal army, there's a tendency where trolling shit sites beats out hate for personal armies.
thefearmaster
inb4 "nypa faggot" ;-; , its not really that old 4chan anymore
thefearmaster
facebook.com/Dark-Souls-Lover-1714202252241601
flibbertigibbet
Looks like they've taken down the image you posted above. Don't know if any of the others they have up are yours?
giantegg
Page reported. Hope it helps if enough people do the same. Best of luck to you from Australia.
akahata
Post this to 4chan. Usually something interesting happens in that case.
howboutyadontladiesandgentlemenSCOTTYDONT
He will get the "Not your personal army" response.
boobphysicist
BloodyGarbage
Stop posting hi-res of your art and sell it yourself.
FusRoDoodles
This is the best way to share your stuff without it getting stolen by anybody. It's hard to market a lower res image.
IllegalDuckling
That doesn't work. One person buys it and uploads it everywhere, people download it and the nature of the net makes in impossible to stop it
IllegalDuckling
That's why the japanese porn industry is dead.
DrKriegersClone
It's the game company's intellectual property. Fan art should be not-for-profit.
Zetsub
Selling fan-art is illegal, at least it is here in Australia. Unless you own the work it's profiting off someone else's property.
BloodyGarbage
Yeah, but it's not enforced very much.
Orion1453
Wow, that sucks.
Zetsub
I actually like the laws, but I am a content creator. It's better than someone making a fortune off a game/character you've spent years on.
Orion1453
Hm, if they're directly undercutting the creators of the game/character/whatever I feel a bit differently about it, but otherwise..
thefearmaster
they're selling the low res from my deviantart ;-; i cri
Woodmn
Take a page out of the stock images book and only release images without ugly af watermarks after people pay.
noboruryu
Water mark in the middle of it.
8hourgamer
watermarks are a thing for a reason
fettuccine
make a huge ass watermark across ur prints. I feel like if ur this good at these things this should be skill #1
Proboscidea4815162342
That's why you don't post things on the internet until you start selling it first.
ThePsychicZombie
http://needsmorejpeg.com/
hatemythesis
Then your low res is too high res
AllistairRight
Yeah always limit 1024x768 at 72dps with a massive watermark when uploading online.
gunsofgilead
You need a bid ugly watermark
PenisOfDeath
A watermark that's so big and ugly it's distracting and takes up most of the picture.
Anfalicious
9gag
thefearmaster
woah easy there , i don't wanna end my art career :D
Jab091
Put a watermark on it!
imnotinprisonhidingaphoneinmybutt
WATERMARK! Good luck! I love art and people stealing it really aggregates me.
imnotinprisonhidingaphoneinmybutt
*aggervates
ElmurFud
I looked and your resolution is slightly small (what do mobile users know about res tbh) the problem is your DPI and lack of watermark.(1/2)
ElmurFud
(2/2)300dpi will allow it to be rescaled and printed on T-shirts, mugs, and small posters without looking bad even at 1024x 768ish.
yourdiscord
Watermark your art
DoNotGiveAFuck
It is his legally whether he water marks it or not. What they are doing is out of order
ButterflyHeimlich
Don't do that crop-able BS either. Fuckin full white X/frost the shit out of that art.
thefearmaster
it not that hard to remove it , plus one of the stolen artwork was watermarked :/
CatSingularity
make it bigger
SierraTM
Put a bigger watermark smack dab in the middle.
itsaswellday
I just want to say hi fellow Egyptian! Your art is beautiful!
AgentLizard
Put in an invisible watermark that appears when you adjust the contrast or brightness. Right in the middle.
Rayz901
Sign name on paintings... like Rob Boss... I mean Bob Ross
thefearmaster
i did , and they cropped it
thundershocknow
Water mark it across the whole picture. It's the only way.
ClitKicker87
Paint one big fucking watermark
IndianJoe
Don't upload hi-res. Screens are 1080 or 1440px in height, bigger are rare. That's 4.8in/12cm @300dpi, and 300dpi is low end for art prints.
IndianJoe
My method : reduce to 720 or 1080px in height, small watermark, low jpg quality (around 90%).
Rogahar
Every single time. The HD/unwatermarked version is for me, whoever commissioned it, and anyone who wants to buy a print only.
yourdiscord
Damn bro. The art is sick btw. I def want to see more
thefearmaster
thank you :) glad u like it <3
Noob3rts
Seriously. It is freaking awesome. More please..and possibly, can I bribe you to do some of Warhammer 40K?
thefearmaster
stay tuned :)
Juantapman
Do like, those really annoying ones that go over most of the image, or put it in a really important shadow
Xenolith166
Disguise the watermark somewhere in the middle o the painting. Along the edge of a shield, or in the terrain.
Onennon
put it RIGHT IN THE CENTER. no more removals or cropping.
Onennon
make it big, too.
Mozaralio
https://www.plagiarismtoday.com/2013/08/01/how-to-ensure-your-watermarks-are-secure/
SpaceSphere
Very good read +1
ekzeko
Yeah but your all happy and want to share with the world, but the world is full of bastard, but you want to... I mean, you get it.
IfTheresTwoThingsIKnowInLifeItsHowToUnderDeliver
@thefearmaster look at getty images watermark here
tacticalbox
Rectangle selection tool. Mess with the brightness and contrast enough and it's gone. Then you just have to get rid of the white letters.
IfTheresTwoThingsIKnowInLifeItsHowToUnderDeliver
Not saying it can't be done, but depending on the skill of scammers, they'll likely move on to easier marks
tacticalbox
Getty Images has by far the easiest watermarks to get rid of. http://imgur.com/ixUqWgp I did this in less than a minute. The rest isn't hard
Mozaralio
That looks like garbo
tacticalbox
The picture on the left is the one I did. This is the same picture from the site
tacticalbox
Here's a less confusing picture http://imgur.com/JONZL3C
tacticalbox
Here's a less confusing picture http://imgur.com/JONZL3C
jonsnowkilledolly
Call a lawyer.
veritasgear
Lawyer won't be able to do anything to an anonymous poster from another country, unfortunately. Best thing to try is to get it removed.
TheSmutWhisperer
@emeraldesq
JustLookingForFeels
There taking money for his art so water marking wont help
catsarepointless
Yes, call a lawyer. You might need protection if the owners of Dark Souls and Zelda copyrights ever sue you.
Okibi09
Why would OP need protection? It was never intended to be sold someone else decided they needed to sell it.
catsarepointless
OP admitted to indirect profit from one of these images and the images themselves are being used for profit. (1/2)
catsarepointless
(2/2) So while he can't be sued for those profits, he can be for creating the image in the first place which could result in it's "removal"
kusuriya
Not really. this would qualify for fair use.
IllegalDuckling
Tell that to nintendo taking down large amounts of fan works because the Japanese copyright system doesn't protect fair use, apparently.
shutard
Many of the images involve trademarks as well, like the triforce. Much stricter laws there.
kusuriya
the stuff they have taken down was stuff either profiting off thier trademark or did not sufficiently alter the derived work. Nintendo 1/
thefearmaster
i can't in my country "egypt", our legal system is very corrupt and wont do anything ;-; ,im researching into getting a lawyer overseas ~
Waitingforthedarknes
Send them a dcma take down notice then the will have to take it down
Favri
Hey I'm an intellectual property lawyer. I can't formally advise you, but feel free to reach out and I can definitely help you out with this
NoPlaceLikeHere
I have gone through copyright infringements online. There are many lawyers who specialize in this, shouldn't be difficult to find someone
Mangomancer
just remember is Fan art, and usually you can't legally profit out of it either,since is not your character. this is why you get a lawyer.
le76
They've purged their entire Facebook page. They got spooked by angry people.
mekon1
Tell Nintendo and dark soul people they will sue them for profiting from Thier trademarks
VladimirZsadist
I'd locate other artists who have their artwork stolen. You all could possibly file a class action lawsuit. Together.
MoepsDump
Report them to facebook. https://www.facebook.com/help/www/399224883474207
grid10ck
Good luck, if I meet anyone (I deal with a few legal people every now and then) I'll hook you up, in the mean time I'll spread word about it
thefearmaster
thank you
CabooseKbuse
PajamaStripes
Then find him, murder his wife and make him eat her remains while her decapitated head stares him down.
mfwNineEleven
Brah, who hurt you?
DarkBusterBaron
You forgot about burning his house down.
impledob
Contact the other artists who had there stuff stolen and try and get them to sue
thefearmaster
thats what i've been doing since then its 8:10 am now and im not gonna sleep until i contact artists as much as possible , google image ~
Wlfpck
Contact teechips.com. They're the ones selling these shirts and stuff.
Wlfpck
They have phone numbers and everything listed. Not sure if someone is selling through them or what.
thefearmaster
search and backtracking to artists pages as much as i can
Winland
You are a genuine good guy! Good of you for helping out other scammed artists!