It's time to take another look at your Terms of Use for your dolls and bases to make sure that every loophole has been covered. Why? Because of online thieves who love to go around them.

Situation #1 - Individual Sites
One major site that has been posting many edited works from artists, HERE. Just click on "Diversas I" and "Diversas II". A few dolls have been taken down after locating the original artists and a translator but many still remain.

Situation #2 - LiveJournal Groups
A few LiveJournal groups in particular have a certain view on copyrighted works and freeware, some seeing dolls as mere clipart. I would advise all of you to take a good look at your Terms of Services to make sure that they are 100% solid and fool proof and to also become well informed of your copyrights on and off dA.

Some users even offer their blinkie 'services' for a monetary profit. This is ILLEGAL and users can be banned from the hosting site(s).

The best thing we can do is keep on them and report those that pop up on our radar. If you find an image of one of your dolls that was stolen and edited, save it to your system to look up on TinyEye. It's a reverse image look up system and will find anything that resembles it in case they re-host the image.

And how did I find out about this? From a sudden flood of visitors and a denied link that sparked my curiosity. If this ever happens to you, investigate it! One very useful and free tool, StatCounter. Get it and use it!


Screenshot of the theft from one of my dolls. The two images that were created were eventually taken down.

& Promote!

Dealing with online copyright violations
How to report art theft on Photobucket
Rights for Artists Not a dA page but still very useful!

If you would like a basic outline of a Terms of Use, Suzy from Doll on the Hill Factory is willing to let others copy her TOU. I would ask beforehand out of sheer courtesy and manners though.

I have created a journal post on LiveJournal for both communities to read and post on so we can really communicate with each other, Caelest's Journal.
I had high hopes that it would help and look at how much we've accomplished! See journal entry, [link] .

Case #1 - Sassy Graphxs
[link]
Dolls were being edited for blinkie signatures. No profit involved but Terms were violated nonetheless. Those involved are now working towards a common cooperating goal.
Status - Case Resolved!

Case #2 - Doll Anonymous
[link] (Group closed!)
Dolls were being stolen, edited and then SOLD via PayPal. Group has been closed.
Status - Case Resolved!

Case #3 - Piinkcupcake
[link]
Dolls are being edited and then SOLD via PayPal. Most of the dolls are from Korean sites that allow(?) editing but a few custom dolls were offered. Owner was notified and has responded positively in taking them down.
Status - Case Resolved!

Case #4 - Marcia Designer
[link]
Just click on "Diversas I" and "Diversas II". A few dolls have been taken down after locating the original artists and a translator but many still remain.
Status - Partially Resolved!

I must state that only the original artist has the complete power to enforce that their works are removed but here are tips of what they and everyone else can do to help with that.

Original Artists
1.) SAVE the offending images and URLs! You will be needing them in the future if things go sour!

2.) Write a proper letter to the one posting the edited works asking for them to cease/desist and that they notify everyone who could've gotten them to delete their copies. It is important that the copies are deleted.

3.) If that doesn't work and they have posted them in a group, then copy the letter and any replies and send them to the owners/moderators of the group(s). Ask for their assistance if need be to convince the person to comply to your wishes.

4.) If even that doesn't follow through, then you must contact the site AND image host, depending on how far you want this to go. You'll need a proper letter for that as well, which can be easily obtained in these articles.
Dealing with online copyright violations
How to report art theft on Photobucket
Rights for Artists Not a dA page but still very useful!

Everyone Else
1.) Locate and contact the original artist with links to both the page, the stolen image URL and any relevant links for them.

2.) It is suggested to not post or notify the offenders but a fair warning might be able to weed out those who are unknowingly ignorant from those who purposefully steal. Most of the unknowns might even thank you while the thieves will argue/block you. It's up to you, really.

Tools and Tips
StatCounter - Keeps track of anything that comes and goes on your site.
TinyEye - A reverse image look up system that will find anything that resembles it in case they re-host the image.

Keep a copy of a proper letter and reports handy if you find yourself having to report abuse frequently.

I have also found a site that has a linked resource list for those who create these things. (EDIT: The owner has agreed to take down the list but I've added it here for everyone to see.)

If you are on this list, your art may have been stolen! The stars indicate confirmed reports of theft from the site. Please note me if you've found others.

Xandorras Place *
Skeleton Dust
The Doll Cavern
The Edge v. Botticelli
Four Leafed Clover
Sabraella's Garden
Sunny Serenity
Blondefolded Designs
Different Free
NaSever Dolls
The Pyro Parlour
Rhudriel's Dolls *
Rosemary's Gardens
The Dollery
The Lake Dolls
The Pixel Corners *
Angelic Sakuras *
Doll on the Hill Factory *
Fainelloth Dolls *
Sabraelle's Garden *
Selenit Tower *
Autumn Pixels *

Sassy Graphxs
[link]

caelest wrote:
I would like to know what is on this page: [link]

It has recently showed up on my site tracker and judging from the descriptions of your Sassy Graphxs group, you make dollmakers? As owner of the site I would much appreciate knowing what's on the other side of the links that come through since I have specific rules about my dolls and bases.

Thank you,
Stacy

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unique_thesame wrote:
The community makers make icons, blinkies, tags, profile graphics, etc. The post you linked to is a blinkie using a doll. If you believe anyone in my community is using your graphics without following your rules, or claiming them as their own creations, please join the community and take a look around. If you find any kind of problem, please contact me to handle it. We don't allow graphics theft, but we also don't allow drama in the community.

Cathy

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caelest wrote:
My question is how did they link it to my site. Which doll(s) are they using for an example?
Oh and secondly, with help from a friend, we did find one of your members using a doll without permission from the creator in their Terms of Use.

"2: Do not directly copy, modify, recolour etc. any of my dolls and reclaim them as your own. You may use them for inspiration, but try and be original."

Site: [link]
Original: [link]

Copy: [link]

This is why I'm concerned about your group.

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unique_thesame wrote:
I understand your concern, and as I said, we don't condone graphics theft. Ali_cat (the photobucket link) is a member, but not a maker and I haven't seen that doll offered in my community. The one being offered now is one of your fantasy dolls - I've taken a look around your site and am right now reading your TOS and haven't found anything about editting your dolls to offer as editted blinkies, etc. The doll in question is on your fantasy dolls page, with the parasol. It's been editted to include an animation and blinkie boxes. I have already told the maker that's offering to link to your site. She's not claiming the doll as hers, only the animation and blinkie boxes.
I don't know how it's linking to your site as she's hosting it in her photobucket account.
As I said, feel free to join the community and take a look around. We do our best to make sure makers are following good ethics with crediting original creators when it's possible to do so, but we can't oversee every single thing that gets offered. If there's a problem, I'm happy to work towards a mutually exceptable resolution.

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caelest wrote:
It seems that I am going to have to add that to my Faq since proper art and web etiquette obviously has not been instilled in many of today's internet users. Please take down the doll and add that I do not want modifications of any of my works unless they have used my bases to doll upon themselves.
Thank you.

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unique_thesame wrote:
Ok look, I've tried to be friendly and work this out with you, but you obviously don't want to work it out. There is nothing in your TOS about editting. The doll is listed as a base - and yes, I've screencapped it - and you have in your TOS that base editting is fine. I have told the maker to link back to your site and to ask anyone that's requested the blinkie to do the same. I can't and won't remove her offer as she hasn't broken YOUR rules or the communities rules, except for failing to provide a link, which will be corrected as soon as she comes online.
90% of the graphics made within the community are created start to finish by the maker that's offering it. Some makers, especially those just starting out, look for freeware to edit instead. If it's posted on the internet without a legal copyright cert *yes, I have one and know the laws*, and no money is being made from it, it falls within the fair use act. The ONLY legal exception to that is if the person is claiming they made it start to finish. That's not the case here - she admits she didn't make the doll and found it as freeware. She's only requesting credit for the animation and blinkie boxes.
Again, if you're concerned, join the community. If you're not willing to see for yourself what's being done in the community, then you have no grounds to complain about it. Once you join if there's a problem, I'll work with you and the maker for a fair solution to both of you.

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caelest wrote:
I would like to see the screencap of this. And as for joining, by your standards I cannot and will not being that I do not use LiveJournal much, if at all.
If she has made the doll from the bases that I have under my base category, then it is fine. From what I had read or rather misread, that the doll was one of my completed fantasy dolls, which is not supposed to be edited. And as for copyrighting, my works are copyrighted in DeviantArt.

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unique_thesame wrote:
It says, directly under the doll on your site "my base". Therefor it can be considered a base.
Copyright falls under a government issued certificate with a legal certificate number - not a public website. Anything posted on the internet without that government issued number falls under the fair use act. I have asked the maker to link back to you on this one, and to not offer your dolls - whether it be bases or dolls - again in the community. I will enforce that request with any other makers that use your work in my community in the future.
As for joining, I have asked you to join to see for yourself. If you're unwilling to do that then there's not much else I can do to help you.

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caelest wrote:
Thank you for removing them.

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In the end the post was removed but yet countless others of stolen dolls were kept. I can not report them to LJ since the issue for my work was resolved but those who still have art in there can. Please, if you find your works in there, report them immediately!