(no subject)

[ferahgo.livejournal.com]

I never thought I would need to post here, but such is life.

Furaffinity user LeeLee is ripping off other artists' work, including mine, and then trying to to sell it on her FA account.

Earlier today I saw this image pop up in my inbox:



She's selling these for $1-2 each. I immediately recognized the top two images as belonging to me. Here's a comparison:



She didn't ask me, nor did she give me credit in the image description. I sent her a note expressing my concern at this, and you can see my note and her reply here:



So um... she admitted it, and then apparently expects me to consider it a favor that she's done this? I'm not a hardass and I didn't want to make a big deal out of it, so my reply to her was pretty reasonable, I thought:



And so, she immediately took the image down. Apparently crediting me was too hard for her! I figured I'd just shrug it off, but a few minutes later this new image pops up in place of the old one:



This new raptor image she's using is also ripped off, this time by a well-known paleoartist named Joe Tucciarone. The image in question was published on a feathered dinosaurs poster years ago. Someone called her out on this, and she hid the comments shortly thereafter:



The submission is still up. http://www.furaffinity.net/view/5974855/ Deleted now. Clearly she has not learned her lesson, as she thinks that Google is akin to "clip art search" and that she's free to use any image she comes across. Not only is she attempting to make money off these stolen images, but she's not even okay with giving credit to the artist in the description?

I'll work on getting these taken down permanently from FA soon, but first I wanted to post this here while the submission is still live. This is a warning to anyone thinking of commissioning or buying from Leelee: she has no qualms about ripping off art and apparently has no understanding of what she's doing wrong, even when it's pointed out to her.

Ok Leelee has issued a formal apology to everyone: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/5976212/ ALSO Leelee sent me this note and asked me to post it so everyone could see. Yes her apology seems sincere to me so I think it's safe to say she's learned a legit lesson here.

Comments

[hamburger.livejournal.com]

You do NOT just use some image you found on Google Images for something you're going to make money off of if you're any kind of professional.

Why someone who can draw wouldn't just draw her own dinosaur silhouette is beyond me. The only answer is laziness.

[blackberrypie.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. o.o

[astraldescent.livejournal.com]

There's a common misconception, for whatever reason, that if it's on google and you can find it through there, it's free.

Kids do it in school to rip off essays, and some artists do it for art when they're too lazy to draw it themselves. I know there are people who've been posted on here before for using uncredited google image stuff for references and such.

I'm not sure why the whole "if its on the net it's free" thing started but it's pretty annoying that most people, especially artists, don't understand that images don't just poof into existence- someone had to make it before they could steal it. As people who make art themselves they should be sympathetic to that.

[mazz.livejournal.com]

LeeLee is an artist which means not all artists believe that.

I find references on google but they're photo references and I cite them.

[poizenkat.livejournal.com]

urgh that just turns me off from commissioning them. I was planning on it, but doing something as stupid and rude as this?? No way.

[kayla-la.livejournal.com]

Well, this is disappointing...

[mazz.livejournal.com]

Sucks to use the -watch button on an artist I respected.

[zanazibar.livejournal.com]

This sucks because I was watching her and thought about commissioning a badge from her, but I can't bring myself to ignore this. As someone who deals with this *a lot* (I'm a graduate assistant at a big university), it always astounds me how students think that just because it's on the internet, it's fine to copy. No. That is plagiarizing someone else's work and I've failed more than one student because of it. By the same token, I'd rather not commission someone who does the same to images.

[hamburger.livejournal.com]

I'm reminded of the time some girl on Deviantart took fanart from Lupin III that my friend and various Japanese artists had drawn and submitted it with just song lyrics typed on. When confronted about using someone else's art, they actually said: "I didn't know someone DREW it!"

Apparently they were of the impression it just appeared from the ether onto the internet.

[mandyseley.livejournal.com]

WOW I can't even... it's like it's lifted from a textbook on copyright. "Sally used an image from Google for her stickers. She says Google images are free just like clipart. Is she correct?"

If she can't bother to read up on copyright itself, someone send her a link to Google: No, Google images are not automatically public domain. (http://www.google.com/support/websearch/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=9299)

[ferahgo.livejournal.com]

Thanks for that link. Posted it here. http://www.furaffinity.net/view/5974855/#cid:43609954

[taasla.livejournal.com]

LeeLee? Why does that name sound so familiar? Is this the first time they've had an issue arise?

Edit: Bring this up to FA admins. Tracing is zero tolerance and you have proof that she has.

[kayla-la.livejournal.com]

No, check her tag.

[circlemeats.livejournal.com]

wow i didn't expect this from her...

[skittlewolf.livejournal.com]

Glad to see Lee is still be an immature and disrespectful person!

I am honestly not surprised to see this here. Nor am I surprised at her responses.

She just likes to rack up the A_B posts, eh?

[ducttapeninja.livejournal.com]

it's not plagiarized if there's no name on it just found it on google
Like clipart

I wonder if LeeLee understands that rule of, you know, "Clipart is only clipart if it is LABELLED as clipart"? Just because it doesn't have a bloody name on it doesn't make it up for grabs. :/

[skittlewolf.livejournal.com]

Talking to her is like talking to a rock. No matter how many people show her she is wrong or such, she will continue to fight and put on the blinders.

Or hide your comments.

She is known for clearing and deleting shouts when people start asking where their commissions are.

[sigilgoat.livejournal.com]

It's been removed.

Re: I knew it

[sigilgoat.livejournal.com]

Way to make yourself look really mature, hon. You've lost a few possible customers from reacting like this, myself included.

[mrst4nkr.livejournal.com]

I was really interested in buying one of those, but after seeing LeeLee's reaction, I am very disinterested in giving this artist any money ever.

[sigilgoat.livejournal.com]

The kigu badges were really cute, and I was debating on getting a pair myself.

WELP.

[maryseif.livejournal.com]

This girl is 24?

That sort of broke my mind a little. Thank you for the warning.

[jinoki.livejournal.com]

Wow, the maturity of this artist is astoundingly terrible. At least she's removed them, though I can't say it makes much of a difference.

[teacup-werewolf.livejournal.com]

Wow. Ain't she a charmer.

Won't do business with her

Sorry

[leeleemoreau.livejournal.com]

Hopefully this will work and the pic will post..

http://www.furaffinity.net/view/5976212/
(sorry I don't know how to post a pic here D: )

Re: Sorry

[ducttapeninja.livejournal.com]

You're joking, right?

[ryunwoofie.livejournal.com]

Hmmm

[hamburger.livejournal.com]

OP, since it's your art I'm going to ask if you want me to mark this as resolved as it's been taken down?

[ferahgo.livejournal.com]

Sure thing, go ahead. :> it's down, she apologized (and seems sincere I guess) so it's done.

[shukivengeance.livejournal.com]

lol wow stellar conduct all around

[taasla.livejournal.com]

gd it, every time I see your icon I am now going to RAEG at my computer screen... and then have the urge to play DA.

[saelethil.livejournal.com]

[notorious_hunty.livejournal.com]

I'm glad it's resolved, but I still won't give her a single penny seeing her attitude.

[semisonicstar.livejournal.com]

Meh... seems like the artist sorta panicked. Sad, but, they did rectify it, maybe it won't happen again. An unfortunate happening to be sure.

[hollenheist.livejournal.com]

Leelee also owes a lot of people commissions including me :/ I've been waiting on an Oomp badge for 2-3 years. I mean hell the person I was with and got it for I've been broken up with for one and a half so it's up there in time range.

I tried to give her the benefit of the doubt because we have some of the same friends but I feel like doing business with her at all is a complete dead end.

[leeleemoreau.livejournal.com]

Oh God I do?! D:

I'm so Sorry HOLLEN! Why didn't you tell me when I saw you in K2s room!
I'm so sorry! I even spoke to K2 the other day and fell in love with your
fuudog and made you both some gift art (I don't know if she showed you it)
I honestly forgot!

[artic-dragoness.livejournal.com]

If you actually believe you're wrong, you own up to it.

I want a journal and a description on the "Sorry" pic saying exactly what happened - art theft. Who it was stolen from. That she thought a google search means "free to copy." Saying "I'm sorry I'm a terrible person and I wronged people" on some little doodle isn't enough. It's not sincere. It's a cry for "pity me!" which people are obviously doing - forgiveness and love and pity and hugs are from people who have no idea what happened. It's like a little kid who apologizes and looks sad when a parent finds out they hit another kid... they're apologizing to appease the angry parent, not because they think hitting the other kid was wrong. The kid is just sorry they got caught.

I am disappoint.

[ferahgo.livejournal.com]

I think this is a good idea. Leelee, if you're still reading these, this suggestion would be a pretty good way to show good faith on your part and I think a good number of people would be satisfied by it.