Written by pawface :

Here is a message from Windhowler concerning theft and claiming your creations on Animation Source, Devintart, and any sites you are on.

~Pawface

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Hello,

This is a message to all those who draw and render/edit screenshots.

As you may or may not know, there are thieves on various websites, such as Chicken Smoothie, FeralFront, Facebook, Pinterest, Deviantart, and Google Plus.

These thieves are mostly roleplayers. They use artwork and edits from Animation Source, DeviantArt and other sites without the artist/owner's permission.

They use these pictures for their roleplays. Sometimes they will change the featured character/s name/s, sometimes the gender/s as well, if they don't know whether they are a male or female.

Often they will write the character a completely new profile (small or big).

For Example: Troll Berserker's picture of Alma was taken. Alma was given a new name, Dawn, and a whole new profile. One of AppaloozaPalooza's characters was taken by the same person, and was also renamed (Robin) and given a new bio. The thief, however, gave credit for both images.

Some thieves admit that the work is not theirs.

Some (as a member of a Google Plus RP thread did) claim the picture as their own, and put their name on it, regardless of whether it has already got the original owner's signature/watermark or not.

You may, or may not, have heard of Pinterest . . .

If you've not heard of Pinterest ...

Pinterest is a sharing site. It was primarily set up for people to share such things as crafts project ideas, photos, favourite artwork. In general, to share interests, hence the name Pinterest. In some way, it promotes websites / blogs / Facebook Pages as well.

To share an 'interest' picture on Pinterest ( to 'Pin' it), the site's members collect pictures they have found on the web, by using the picture's weblink or location link. They ''Pin'' them to their ''Boards'', folders each with a particular subject. The uploaded picture will have its source at the bottom - so click on the picture, and you'll go to the website it came from, or the very page it came from. This is legal sharing. It a bit like Google Images and Facebook mixed into one.

The real trouble is, however, Pinterest also gives its members the option of uploading from their own computer. So, thieves might see something on say, Animation Source and: right-click, save to computer . . . then upload it on Pinterest. Viola. No link at the bottom of the uploaded picture. So nobody can find out where that picture comes from very easily. And some pictures can get ''re-pinned'' by other, unknowing Pinterest users, many, many times.

Groups of roleplayers in Pinterest have special boards, shared between them, where they post the character artwork/edits that they have stolen and use them for roleplaying on the actual site, via Private Messages.

What Can Be Done? What Can You Do?

Blazetail has contacted the staff of Chicken Smoothie, and stolen artwork is gradually being taken down from there, as the original owners are being identified.

I myself will see what I can do on Google Plus.

Taking things off Pinterest is a bigger task - so many boards, and some stolen pictures being 're-pinned' so many times, it's hard to contact all the re-pinners. You can report any pictures that belong to you, that have not been credited properly.

''The Pen in Mightier Than the Sword''
                     ~ Edward Bulwer-Lytton

There is something you can do to prevent people using your pictures, and/or changing your characters' names:

1. Claim Your Picture - Signatures, Credits and Watermarks.

Most of the roleplayers who steal pictures don't seem to like pictures with signatures. Many of the pictures they have stolen have no signature at all on them (not all people are scared of the mighty signature, and will still use a signed picture, or claim it as their own as I have mentioned - but the majority of thieves will not touched them).

So to help prevent your picture getting stolen, be sure to put your signature on it. For better measure, put ''of Animation Source'' or ''of Deviantart'' underneath your name,  and/or write the day you finished the picture.

Examples of how you can mark your picture:
 

Watermarking: /spirit/en/view_fanart/windhowler_The_Older_Amadias/67.html&numart=13285&deb=18&display=18

Black border with credits (and signature in corner): /spirit/en/view_fanart/windhowler_Blossoms_For_You/86.html&numart=13285&display=18

How to Watermark:

Here is an article on how to watermark your picture using two free downloadable programs: /board/post1510880.html#p1510880

2. Indentify Your Character

You can sometimes, artistically, put your character's name on the picture, to help prevent it being changed. But make sure your own name is on the picture as well!

 

3. Make a Difference 

In general, thieves seem to like renders/edits a lot, because they really imitate the film style of whatever movie they are based on - well, they are edited screenshots after all.

They also like digital artwork which is supposed to imitate the Spirit/Balto/Lion King/etc. style.

I have seen little traditional (pencil drawn / painted) artwork stolen. Probably because it hasn't quite got that movie feel.

And I've seen even less artwork / edits with a unique style stolen.

So, if you edit/render, and/or draw digital art in the style of a certain movie, I'm afraid that kind of work is more likely to be stolen.

Taking up a different style might help prevent your work getting stolen.

- If you draw digitally, finding a unique style (more cartoony, or more realistic?) might help to put off thieves.

- If you render, you may need to develop a more original style of rendering.
- Having a different style is another way of marking your work.
 

Please spread the word against theft on any site you can!

Encourage watermarking, signing, etc.

Don't worry, things should be sorted out in the end.

 ''The robbed that smiles, steals something from the thief . . . ''

~ William Shakespeare

~Windhowler

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Gif by Windhowler