Friday, July 13, 2012

Case Closed

Here's an update on the post below.

I sent the punk a cease and desist letter and while doing so I had already received the following email from the offending party:

"Hello, Let me start by explaining I found your image on ffffound.com. (a link to your blog was not attached) I used your bike as a template basically drew over it creating a whole new image, shape by shape. I was not aware this was new work. I thought it was an old 70's drawing. nor did I do my research. My apologies if you feel I have stolen your work. For your information I did not make any money off of this poster. Now that I know where the original inspiration comes from I can give you credit".

FFFound.com is an image sharing site and have terms and conditions regarding copyright infringement. It is not a free use site.

"A whole new image?... original inspiration"?

A source of inspiration should not be so evident. Artist and designers all use reference materials so, I truly wouldn't have minded him using the image if he had at least made an honest attempt to make some changes to my art for the basis of his design.

After receiving the cease and desist he then wrote:

"Dont have a cow man. Its just a poster of a motorcycle. I did not print any of these. This was not commissioned. I have removed the image from facebook. This image was not reproduced or printed".

Sincerely,
Copyleft. "all wrongs reserved"

"It's just a motorcycle poster."
Maybe, but it shows how ignorant he is. If he had any real sense or creativity he wouldn't be so totally dismissive of the hours of my work that was the basis of his poster.


He attached this copyleft symbol to the email which is sort of a free use symbol. Even if you subscribe to the practice, you must grant the rights first.

I will not waste my time responding to his baited reply. Hopefully one day he will learn the error of his ways.

6 comments:

grant said...

good, i hope. The funny thing is to read his "About Me" on there and how upstanding he makes himself out to be creating original art for clients, etc, etc...wonder how excited he'd be if someone stole any of his art and just made a poster out of it?

Chris K said...

Very true. Many will tell you it's no big thing... until it happens to them.

Irish Rich said...

I award this guy the Order of The Supreme Clueless Asshat.

Well, I will award him that, after I find the art I can pirate to use on the certificate I give him......

Mike Davis said...

well at least he responded. Hope you are doing well.

Anonymous said...

"I'm fascinated by how artists say that their adherence to copyright is about money (even when they aren't making a living with their work) but that when you dig a little deeper it comes out that it's about fear. It's about the fear that someone will do what you're doing but do it better than you ever did."

-Gwenn Seemel
http://questioncopyright.org/

Chris K said...

That's a real general statement. You probably shouldn't lump all artist together with statements like that.

Not to mention, today, everything seems to be about money more than ever.

To me, it's more about the time you put into something.

I was going to rant on in response some more, but it's not worth my time.