I am posting this due to the interest it might have for my fellow creators, artists, photographers, writers, bloggers, authors, or anyone who can claim their own copyrighted images or text.
Don't assume your work is safe from unscrupulous organizations/publishers on the WWW.
Like many people, once in a while, I search my name on Google to see how high my blog is ranked and how it’s measuring up in search engines. It gives me an idea of how many hits I get on my blog, and what people are looking at. It’s a part of marketing I’m curious about.
Once in a while, I also see that someone has added a link to me on their blog. I usually reciprocate by adding their links to mine.
Once in a while, I also see that someone has added a link to me on their blog. I usually reciprocate by adding their links to mine.
However this time, I found something of a darker note; Use of my copyrighted work on a site, used without my permission.
My painting, the one you see above, “Creature Comforts”, an image owned soley by me the artist and creator of this work, under international copyright laws, has been used in a post written by a certain Mr. Ohlman without my permission.
It’s located a site called “Wonder of Creation”, (have a look), an affiliate of RBC Ministry out of Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Now this parent company, RBC Ministry is a publishing company. That’s right! A publishing company! And a religious publishing company at that. Irony abounds! Do they feel that those pesky little 10 Commandments don’t apply to them?
Now this parent company, RBC Ministry is a publishing company. That’s right! A publishing company! And a religious publishing company at that. Irony abounds! Do they feel that those pesky little 10 Commandments don’t apply to them?
Are they above that one in particular? Ie: THOU SHALT NOT STEAL.
They are completely aware of the legalities surrounding the use of images or text that doesn’t belong to them! I know this because they have a whole page devoted to Rights & Permissions regarding the use of their material.
The rules listed on their website, which are likely made up by well paid lawyers, pertaining to gaining permission first before using any of the information on their site, and I'm betting that if the roles were reversed here, they'd be suing me or anyone who infringed on their rights.
Yet here they are using my work, without my permission. - Do as I say, not as I do???? Hmmm?
Obviously RBC and Mr. Ohlman should know better than to take something that doesn’t belong to them.
That my friends, simply put, is theft.
Mr. Ohlman, nor anyone representing RBC Ministries has ever contacted me about using my copyrighted image on their site.
Here’s the kicker... Even though I’ve politely asked him to remove my work immediately, first on Facebook because I didn’t want to sign up on their blog in order to post my ire, and have since written RBC at their Abuses page, as of writing this post, my appeals have gone unanswered. So far this organization has refused to comply the law and my rights within the law.
So, if you’re an artist, publisher, photographer, writer, blogger, painter, author, poet, or anyone who owns their own copyrighted material reading this post. Be warned. It would seem that even organizations, ones that preach things, things they obviously don’t feel they need to put them into practice themselves, might just choose to use your work next.
Feel free to share this with anyone you think might care.
Thank you,
Karen Sloan ~ Wall Flower Studio
10 comments:
Try this if they won't get back to you. They're part of the FBI and can help with things like this.
http://www.ic3.gov/default.aspx
I hope this gets sorted out. My cousin was victim to something similar but in her case the person who used her works claimed to have done them herself - eventhough they were photographs of my cousin.
Kim, thank you very much. That's totally appreciated.
I'm sorry to hear your cousin had to go through this type of experience.
I'll use any legal means necessary to have my image removed from this site.
Law & ethics and morals aside, there's a principle involved here, and quite frankly, I refuse to get screwed when I haven't even been kissed. Not a very classy statement, but that sums up my feelings about this. ; )
All the best to you, and thanks again.
K.
I have had this happen too, not to this extent...another company used my product photo as their own. I was able to get it off of Facebook through Facebook but not off their company website and never did get a response.
I hope you get this settled...you do wonderful work and should get all of the credit for it. Even though that is part of the point, I wish people would just use their own work, get permission or at least admit when they make a mistake and make it right when they do.
Thank you for posting this!
From my experience of publishing hundreds of pages of content through cptryon.org, religious organizations are perhaps the most unscrupulous and difficult to work with. They tend to hide behind "fair use", even when it's clear that the doctrine does not apply.
I ended up devoting an entire page to copyright: http://cptryon.org/copyright.html
For all the good it does... Good luck.
I checked it out and now your name appears under the image.
I've had this happen to me too, and after proving the image was mine it was removed. But they made me feel like I was the guilty one as the assumed the person who posted it had the right.
Sorry to hear your troubles - I can't believe the guy still has it posted, even after you've asked him (them, whoever) to take it down.
On the positive side, I can understand why RBC likes the painting so much! It's one of my favourites of yours!
Wow, Simply Rustic, that's so horrible. I'm just blown away by people's lack of ethics. I really don't know what to say about this. I'm completely disgusted for you, for me, or anyone else this has happened to.
Unfortunately, it seems to be more prevalent than I'd originally thought.
Maybe that naivete on my part, but it sure adds fuel to the fire, that's for sure. I'll not give up as easily as these people might think.
Thank you for sharing this. I'm so sorry you had to experience that.
All the best to you, and a happy 2012,
K
Hi Patricia,
Thank you for sharing that link. I'll definitely take a good look. If my experience with these types of organizations is the norm, then I'm inclined to agree with your statement.
And, the good luck wishes means a lot. Thank you.
All the best to you for the New Year. : )
Slimy buggers, & so you should be irate! Like you, I normally think of 'don't steal' as pretty darn basic!?
I've just joined the 'Wonder of Creation' in order to post my "comment" on the subject; just awaiting confirmation email.
I also looked up the other 3 pics posted on that page...2 & 3 are Christian religious, however #4 artist (no name given) is none other than Ansel Adams!!! http://www.anseladams.com/El_Capitan_Merced_River_Clouds_p/5010108-u.htm
Go figure they left his name off the page! Hehe check out who has ownership of Adams' collection: "Bill Gates' Corbis http://www.corbis.com, which controls...Ansel Adams collection" I would be firing off an email to Corbis linking the page asap as well as any/everything/one else you can think of.
Let me know if I can do more! http://vintagephoto.com/reference/copyrightarticle1.htm
Hi Linda,
Thanks for sharing your experience. I'm shocked, really, by how many people have been in this same situation. I'm glad to hear you were able to have your's removed. That's my goal. They just don't have the right to use it without my permission. Strange, too, because I've had many requests from people to use my work in some way or another, and I've never said no, yet this organization feel's it's above the law and just helps themselves.
Anyhow, on another better note, I wish you all the best for 2012. Thanks for commenting. - K
Hi Cathie, thanks very much.
I appreciate your support, and lovely comment, too. (So glad you like it!)
Happy New Year, K
Well put, Lee! You always cut to the chase. One of the many wonderful things I adore about you!
Yes, there's many options here and ways to get others on board.
The copyright to that third painting you see is owned by the French government. Info supplied by my cousin down East, also an artist, Brian Sloan. He's become an invaluble source for this, and, his paintings are fabulous, too!
Perhaps this will become an "international incident"? Hey, these people should have thought about it before trying to rip me and others off. Thanks for this info, my friend. We Scorpios don't take this kind of abuse from anybody, church or otherwise. : )
K xo
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