Stop Art Piracy Campaign Project

Please be sure to read all of the content below before joining or uploading work to this group. The story of why this group was created . . . After having bits of my own original work illegally downloaded and used in someone else's work, I have heard from a lot of people that have unfortunately had the same experience or worse. Some of these people have considered giving up what they love to do, which is create art, because they feel so violated. Luckily for me, my situation turned out fine in the end and it was just a case of someone not knowing better. But it upset me a great deal because I had paid for the images, altered them digitally, hand trimmed, hand colored and carefully "re-created" them and someone "borrowed" them without considering the work and money that went into them. Helping yourself to someone else's hard work is not okay unless permission is given no matter how big the temptation for convenience. So, after hearing many far worse stories than mine (no one was selling their work with my work in it at least) I decided maybe we just need to remind and educate, make some people think twice before they use someone else's work. I am not a lawyer. I don't know a lot about copyrights nor claim to. I AM NOT A COPYRIGHT EXPERT. It is a fuzzy area to say the least. But most of us know, through common sense, it is not okay to use parts of other artists' work without their permission. The purpose of this group is to educate and remind folks that when they steal from one artist, it takes away from all of us. It affects incomes, the availability of images for all of us to purchase or gain permission to use, it affects relationships, friendships, art groups, swaps and trades. And it can certainly damage the integrity of the person that steals, takes and "borrows". The vehicle for this campaign is the DESIGN AND SHARING of badges and graphics that members create for others to see and use on their blogs and websites with a link back to this group. We'd love to see you design a graphic depicting the theme of this campaign in any medium and size you wish. Please make your designs available for others to use and place on their blogs and websites for the sole purpose of this campaign. You'll need to explain that just below your upload - that it is okay to use on blogs and websites if it is linked back to this group. Be sure to also state that no one may use any part of the design or image in any other way without your expressed permission.