Many of you already know about problems with photobucket and other photo hosting and graphics sites. There are quite a few artists who think this isn’t a big deal because the users aren’t selling the art. But, for every uncredited picture out there there is someone who will assume it’s free clip art which they can sell elsewhere.

Ripped art is a big problem on Ebay and sites like ioffer. There are even factories in China which make oil painting reproductions using other artist’s work at very low prices. Most other products using ripped art are DIY or “do-it-yourself” items handmade by the seller. That doesn’t mean that they are small time. Many of these shops have powerseller status.  Basically anything that can be made with a home computer or by adding a print to a product can be suspect.  There are also many small companies who legitimately have licensing agreements with artists, but with a little detective work you can figure out what is ripped and what isn’t.

Signs a product is legitimate:
Any company who has actually licensed the art is going to name the artist and give the title of the picture. They are proud of their artists because without them they have no products. Anyone who buys from a manufacturer to sell usually lists the manufacturer of the product. Most artists also have any companies they work with linked somewhere on their own site.

Signs they shouldn’t be using the art:
• They don’t list the artist’s name and come up with a generic title like "Pretty Fairy".

• They don’t have an actual photo of the product, just a picture photoshopped onto it. Sometimes they are using a watermarked image.

• They are using a popular illustrator’s image from greeting cards, books, t-shirts or anything else you’ve seen in a retail store on a handmade product.

• They may also offer to make the product from any picture you send them.

• They are selling an oil painting of a popular image multiple times or of an image that was originally created digitally.

Most common products using ripped art are:
• Cross stitch patterns
• Italian charms
• Address labels
• Iron ons
• Buttons
• Light stitch covers or switchplates
• Cigarette cases
• Pendants and cameos
• clip art image cds
• Wall clocks
• Oil painting reproductions

How to find them:
You can search any of the products I listed along with keywords like fairy, fantasy, mermaid, gothic, dragon, anime, elf etc.

What you can do about it:
First, don’t buy it. Notify the artist and don’t argue with the seller yourself. Many of the images are the ones which show up under most popular images and prints on Deviantart. If you recognize an artist and you suspect it’s ripped art, look up the artist’s Deviantart gallery or site and contact them. Artists can report the auctions by filing a VERO report with ebay.

Ebay’s program for Reporting Intellectual Property Infringements is called VERO and is very similar to filing the usual DMCA report. Infringements can only be reported by the copyright owner. The first time they will have to fax in the form (or use one of the free online fax services), but from then on will be able to email it. They are good about taking down auctions quickly.