IMVU - copied artwork being sold as virtual "stickers"

[thaily.livejournal.com]

So I'm fucking around on IMVU and I'm shopping for fictional clothes (the best kind) when I run into stolen artwork being sold as "stickers".
For example, synnabar's original.
Queenoffoxes sticker.

IMVU is a "Second Life"-ish chat program. You can make and sell virtual items and get credits to buy other virtual items but I'm not sure if they can aslo cash out credits into real money so the thief may or nay not be making money off this. Either way they shouldn't be taking other people's work and the original artists should be notified.
I already contacted Synnabar myself, but if others recognize stole artwork I encourage you to send a note to the artwork's original owners. Thanks :)

Comments

[kestral-kitsune.livejournal.com]

They can't cash out credits into real money but I reported her and sent her various messages to take down the images. she's also got goldenwolf's art and a couple others up on her homepage. They still have the watermarks on so at least she's not saying they are hers.

[thaily.livejournal.com]

I noticed, and Dark Natasha.
I reported the items in her store, which have had their signatures removed, and apparently they'll delete it if she gets three strikes. I reported two, so if someone could report one more :)

[kestral-kitsune.livejournal.com]

oo I didn't notice the dark natasha one I'll go report

[banrai.livejournal.com]

Her page, here, http://avatars.imvu.com/QueenOfFoxes has a lot of Goldenwolf's art on it, too.


And, you can actually sell the credits to third party companies, like AnsheChung (the SecondLife highroller) does IMVU credits too. So technically she could be making real money off of this.

[banrai.livejournal.com]

e,f;b

[katsuki.livejournal.com]

http://www.imvu.com/catalog/index.php?manufacturers_id=7528023

This person seems to have various commercial and personal artworks.

[katsuki.livejournal.com]

Including this which is familiar to me: http://www.imvu.com/catalog/product_info.php/Critters/sexy-snow-leopard-by-dawn10171/products_id/502152

[katsuki.livejournal.com]

Sorry to spam!

I just found something that really bothers me.

http://www.imvu.com/catalog/product_info.php/Love/Naruto-and-Sakura-by-SweetSkittlezGurl/products_id/108958

I don't know who drew that, but it's a really nice picture and from her comment on it and the other pictures in her gallery, I highly doubt she has permission to be doing that with their artwork.

[lilenth.livejournal.com]

Reminds me of Xianjaguar's work.

[kestral-kitsune.livejournal.com]

It is xianJaguar's work. ah the first one of the leopard kitty girl

[kerstin-orion.livejournal.com]

I also see a pic by Aura in that person's shop.

I've had problems with them before

[arshes.livejournal.com]

What's irritating is, they want you to sign up and report it. It's irritating enough that someone's taking my work, you will not have me as a registered user.

I just sent a C&D letter to their office when they were trying to sell stickers of my character done by me and other artists.

It's tricky because of the DMCA http://www.imvu.com/catalog/web_info.php?section=Info&topic=copyrightinfo

Re: I've had problems with them before

[kestral-kitsune.livejournal.com]

Its one of the reason's I signed up some one on the ElfQuest forums spotted my artwork and notified me that it was being used so I signed up to basicly just report shit.

Re: I've had problems with them before

[arshes.livejournal.com]

Yes, but they used to have the individual sign up and report it. I told them outright, I don't have to and just sent a Cease and Desist.

Why should I give them an account they can show to investors about "how many people use their community" sorry, you don't get any kind of gain from me.

[clickclackcat.livejournal.com]

Daymn. I had another pal who got the same thing from this site: someone using her art to sell these stickers or whatever. Ther person refused to take the art down for a loooong time saying "it's mine because I cropped it differently than you did therefor it's no longer yours."

[thaily.livejournal.com]

That's when you contact the ISP that hosts the site with a DMCA notice, most are pretty good about their clients using their service for illegal activity.

[applebisque.livejournal.com]

sadly I too have been stolen from by atleast one person on that site haha. The only way i can see to get things removed is actually snail mailing the company with proof :/.

I mean if it was something huge sure I would take the time, but when it is only a few small things its just an annoyance.

[primarycolors.livejournal.com]

This community has really brought to my attention how incorrigible people really can be.

Your work has an automatic copywright just because you made it, however you can register your work, for a fee. If your work is registered then you can actually bring some legal action against these people. I know this is unrealistic, most of these infringments are just small and annoying, but if you catch someone using your work within a few months of your registering the work (not sure on the specifics here) and you bring legal action against them, they are required to pay your laywers fees. I know it's too much of a bother, and you aren't really losing much, but I bet the person would never ever do it again :P

[ksharra.livejournal.com]

You can flag images as inappropriate and flag them for review if you are a member. I went ahead and signed up, flagged it, and marked it for review and gave them the original links. Hopefully that pic gets taken down. If you see more, it's worth it to sign up for a "trash" account, and start flagging them.

[thaily.livejournal.com]

I was already signed up and reported a couple, but it kinda bugs me that I can't just toy with my virtual dress-up dolls without running into rampant copyright infringement all over the place :/

[synnabar.livejournal.com]

Thank you, Thaily, for the heads-up! I appreciate it. :)

Oddly I probably would have said it was OK if they asked (like I did to some cross-stitch-pattern-making people). And I don't mind if people use my stuff for avatars, sigs, tubes, etc. as long as they follow my usage terms (http://synnabar.critter.net/Pages..../InformationPages..../artusage.html). But, hmm. Maybe I should add a "virtual products" bit to that page or something...

[thaily.livejournal.com]

<3

[rrabbittzz.livejournal.com]

IMVU Developers can and do make real money from credits. They can resell them to anyone, often going through a reseller like www.imvupay.com or casseopia's credit reselling service, or www.waltzingmouse.com among others. Just thought I'd clear that up for you as even on imvu developing is touted as "A way for talented young developers to make some extra cash"

I don't think stealing art is to be considered talented to you?
-RRabbittzz

Aka CherishedSolace on IMVU

[cesarin.livejournal.com]

she as added work by wookie too :/

wow....

[queenoffoxes.livejournal.com]

Everyone this is Queen of Foxes. I was just here to say that i was not stealing art by Goldenwolfen and Dark Natasha. I made some of there art into stickers bc people asked me too. I also put there art into a scroll box but at the top of the scroll box it said Art by Goldenwolfen and art by Dark natasha! So thankyou for assuming things that aren't true and spamming about me. I am the last person to steal art! I even had the website to Goldenwolfen saying "go to this webiste and check out Goldenwolfen's other pieces!" So the next time you assume things how about you come to me about it instead of spreading rumors! Just a thought since you people are so into my page, did any of you bother to confront me about it? I'm pretty sure none of you did, cause I didn't get any messages from any of you! Thankyou for the rumors

Re: wow....

[synnabar.livejournal.com]

Hi Queen of Foxes! Don't worry. I don't mind if people use my art for banners, sigs, tubes, etc. for personal use. It's just if it's on a site where one can sell things that I like to be asked first. :) I DO let people use my stuff to sell if they ask permission! It's all right there on my Usage Page (http://synnabar.critter.net/Pages..../InformationPages..../artusage.html).

I don't know what Goldie and DarkNatasha say about using their art for stickers, so I can't say. It was nice of you to post the artists' names, though, and link to them. The only thing is, that three-tailed fox in the link above is not by DarkNatasha, it is an older piece by me, Fox Magic II from 2003 (http://us-p.vclart.net/vcl/Artists/Stephanie-M.-Hahn/Anthro%20_%20%26_Sentient_Animals..../syn-FoxMagicII.jpg). if you aren't using it to sell, then don't worry, no problem! - just change the image credit to me if you keep it up there. :) No worries! I don't bite. :D

Is there a way to contact people on IMVU if a person is not a member? I didn't see any way there to email or contact users without being logged in.

Re: wow....

[queenoffoxes.livejournal.com]

Oh my god I'm so sorry lol! I look at a lot of different art and I get mixed up I'm sorry, and as far as my stickers be made to sell..... I want to put them for free so everyone can see the art but IMVU is stupid like that. I mostly give the art as stickers to advertise. I give the links to my favorite artists on my page so if you could give me a link to your I would be more then honored to do so!