Tuesday, October 26, 2010

To Catch an Art Thief

Yesterday, ART Evolved banned together around one of our members, Dr. Manabu Sakamoto, to catch an art thief.  Please follow this link to read the whole story "The Art Thief vs. The Dinosaur Bloggers," masterly written and posted on ART Evolved by Glendon Mellow.

Here is a sample from the post:


Theft is going to get found out.

All of us on Art Evolved experienced a point in time where we made a decision to go online with our artwork.  It's a tough decision, and everyone frets to varying degrees about what will happen if our work is stolen.

  • We slap copyright symbols on it, and some of us put obscuring watermarks on the images.
  • We employ Creative Commons Licences, or rail against Google ImageSearch for making it so easy.  
  • We vary on how much we protect our artwork, and how much we like to share it.  
  • None of us is likely to know if an indie punk band in Vienna has downloaded our Diabloceratops for their gig posters.  

So if you're an aspiring artist looking to get into paleo-art or any kind of image, and you're nervous about making a big enough name for yourself online, here's some stuff you can do.

  • Don't steal. 
  • If it's a fan homage, say it is.  
  • Don't re-post someone's stuff without asking.  
  • If they have a blanket statement saying it's okay, make sure you link back to them and give them credit.   
  • Always give artists, illustrators and image-makers credit. Always.
  • Just ask.  Always ask if it's cool.  Most illustrators love feedback.
  • Use the © symbol a lot. State what you want. 
  • Blog.  Post comments elsewhere.  Reciprocate.
  • Become friends and peers to others with similar interests. 
  • If you can, be part of a network or group online. 
  • "I got yer back" is one of the most heart-warming statements you can utter to a friend. 

If someone steals your work, 
  • make a fuss. 
  • Go through proper channels. 
  • Be civil and intelligent when you dialogue. 
  • Ask for help from your support network.  
I encourage anyone to put their artwork online.  And becoming part of a network makes everyone stronger than without it.


 Read the full post here.

I totally agree with Glendon when he says that becoming part of an online community is the best way to protect your art online.  Strength in numbers, we've got your back!

-Peter

3 comments:

Glendon Mellow said...

I think you highlighted what to me were the most important messages we can all walk away from this with, Bond!

Paleo King said...

Excellent post Peter! I know I was a bit late to learn about this whole thing (I had a huge mess on my hands after getting back from SVP) but I fully support your efforts.

I second Glendon on the online community thing. This is the best way for us to get stronger - to watch each other's backs and have strength in numbers. Ironically it's a very dinosaurian way to do things.

smplcv said...

The story was inspirational! I found it very interesting and shared this with face book! thanks peter!


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