In the real world it's even hard... I worked for one company who would take designs from Adidas Reebok Fila etc and add their own subtle changes... this is very very common even amongst the big dogs I mentioned above. Perhaps you can say "Imitation is flattery" ... do report them as well like you're doing.

i remember being told that its only something like 25% that the design has to be changed for it to be yours

xiv, that's a myth ... i won't go into all the legal mumbo jumbo cuz i have places to go, but just google a bit with some of these keywords.

copyright
infringement
trademark
dilution
parody
statutory damages

why don't you point it out to the rest of us cause we'd like to see what you're talking about.

check out my blog on plagerism aswell, it not the first time and it won't be the last.

yeah i'd like to know some specifics...

How much of someone else's work can I use without getting permission?
Under the fair use doctrine of the U.S. copyright statute, it is permissible to use limited portions of a work including quotes, for purposes such as commentary, criticism, news reporting, and scholarly reports. There are no legal rules permitting the use of a specific number of words, a certain number of musical notes, or percentage of a work. Whether a particular use qualifies as fair use depends on all the circumstances. See FL 102, Fair Use, and Circular 21, Reproductions of Copyrighted Works by Educators and Librarians.

How much do I have to change in order to claim copyright in someone else's work?
Only the owner of copyright in a work has the right to prepare, or to authorize someone else to create, a new version of that work. Accordingly, you cannot claim copyright to another's work, no matter how much you change it, unless you have the owner's consent. See Circular 14, Copyright Registration for Derivative Works.

Whoa. Thats crazyness.

but lets also be VERY carefull not to put the torches to people straight away. All of us are influenced by whats around us, constantly with advertising. U lot may not know "Darren Brown" a physcological magician of sorts. He showed he could make an advertiser produce a predestined image by subconciously advertising to them during their working day.
In other words, people might not always realise that theyve coppied/borrowed parts of somones design.
There are lots of examples of an identical or very simerlar designs appearing all over the word with no interaction at all either!

The persons name is Hyperprisma123, the two pieces that he stole are "hush" and "ziggy rider", both from a book published in 1998 called Scrawl: Dirty Graphics and Strange Characters. The two Grafitti Artist and Illustrator he took these from are called SHE ONE and Stefan Plaetz.
If you look at his other entries or his portfolio, either he has talent and is lazy, or he is stealing everything. The one with the Girl on the Gorilla, I have seen that girl somewhere, but can't quit place my finger on it.

I am putting the torch to this guy.

well he cant get in trouble for it unless it is printed...

But of course, if youve found irefutable proof, then put a whole bonfire to him, if ur totally certain, then maybee these people should be named and shamed in CAPITALS on the forums.
Stealing peoples work, there is no excuse whatsoever. He might not get in trouble yet, but maybee we the members should help police the place abit?

they should be sued (though it sounds a little intense) because they did aggree to a legal bind right before they submitted it so by law they can get fined or w/e the punishment is.

I posted this on my shirt page - man I truly am sorry I set off such a firestorm - hey blenderbox 88, this is John. Dude, I admit I copied those works but I had no idea they were famous. I took them off of some photocopies my buddies make for me for inspiration. I was just careless and took them as my own. Can you give me the names of the two artists so I could further research them and is that book you mentioned avaliable on book stores? (if you go to my website, you can see I am heavily influenced by anime and graffiti) I've had my artwork used without my permission and I know that sucks -I am talking to you, velocity musicworks (don't trust them)

velocity gave me a free teeshirt once. i forget were. but i still have it in my closet.

mmmn. See this is why i said be carefull of going for the jugular with these things. If you are being sincere hyperprisma123, then it is good youve answered these messages. As i said,people take influence from man sources. Its always hard to know whats free.
I dont know if any of u are aware of 'OPEN SOURCE'? its were designers allow their work for any public or commercial use you want.Check out the book "Freewave" it's an excellent source of insperation and design, that you can use and deconstruct in any way. Totally freeware. ISBN 1 86154273-9 cant remember the website.

http://www.fontmonster.org/

is that what your talking about?

yep thats the one. Its a bloody good book, and comes with a free dvd filled with every single design in the book.All the digital images can be taken apart (full files) and u can do whatever you like with them.

Hey John, looking at your portfolio, you got skills, you really dont need to be borrowing, famous or not, but anyways. I just jumped the gun because I've been in this business for a long time, and have seen this happen over and over again.

Anyways, Hyperprisma123, good luck with everything that you are doing.

Good luck to every designer out there!

Well, there can't be done much, except wait for the talent-less people to eventually drop out or get caught.

In a forum recently there was a thread about some guy who made his portfolio of just stolen art/artwork from other people!
From some years ago, do you remember an alien dancing to the tune of I will Survive? Well, he said he made it!!
go figure...

Something related:


"Derivative artwork".

I recently asked for a quote about an image from Corbis, and they told me about "derivative artwork", and that means that you have to pay.

Like the recent inframous Predicament submision
http://threadless.com/product/286/Predicament
but anyway, who cares...

This is the letter I received:

=========================================
Hello,

Thank you for contacting Corbis Account Services.

Here is what our guidelines say about using our images as a basis for works
of art:

Art Reference is $500. If an image is being used only as a reference but the end use will not at all resemble the original image.

Art Rendering is 75% of the standard usage (how the image will be used) fee.
If the end use will closely resemble the original image.

So first of all you would have to decide which of these two suits your usage best. Then, if it is the second option, we can price the image and charge 75%.

I hope this helps.

Thanks once again for your interest in Corbis.

=======================================


Now that the "Predicament" tshirt is already being sold, I can't imagine what will the fee be...

sory for necro-posting, didn't check the thread date :S

wow...

to elgen:
I wouldn't worry about posting a month after
everyone else. I'm glad you posted, otherwise I
may have missed this blog.

Yo David this is UCArts
I want to Apologize to you for anything i have said , I am the type of person that does not take critaisism very well never have and maybe never will, I just felt you where trying to attack my work when you where just trying to help, I usally hold my anger inside but for some reason you pushed my bottons and I said somethings that I shouldnt have.

please except my Apologies because i am truly sorry .
(p.s. I think you have some great work, keep them coming! )

tehres a difference between stealing and stealing.

besides its only happened 1 time w/ predeicanment here.

wut else has happened