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so sad. I'm really sorry that this is happening to you. On the plus side, my friend posted this to Facebook (Maurie Manning) and because of this incident I have discovered your beautiful work! I love it all!

Thanks so mucb Ashley! That's so awesome ! I am so happy you discovered my work through this awful incident! Silver lining :) :D

I click on your "My name is Kathy..." link above and I see your first mistake: a huge, high-resolution image of your artwork loads. It would be a simple matter for anyone to capture that image and use it on anything to produce a high-quality product! Keep all of your online images relatively *small* to prevent theft/reuse.

Next option: hire an attorney. Even if it's just to send out cease and desists. It sounds like an open and shut case.

Your name is even in the drag and drop photograph on the cases! Very clear in the top two...Anger doesn't even begin to cover it! I hope this is resolved soon, girl!!

a : )

*many hugs*

Hi Anonymous -

yes you are right - that one image is very large. My home page template supports dynamic views so they really shouldn't show up as LARGE as they do, but they do and it's been an issue that I need to fix.

However that is only one image and actually the stolen images are directly lifted from the art I was selling on products on Society 6.

I already contacted an IP attorney. I don't agree that it is open and shut. U.S. copyright registration is very often blatantly and brazenly ignored by countries particularly in Asia and South America. Though they are OUR laws they are not necessarily followed and complied with by some dubious sellers that are not in the U.S.A.

Thank you for your comments! I wish I knew your name so I could put a comment to a name!

Andi, thank you for chiming in! Do you not love that? I do. It's a good little bit of funny in this mess, huh? :D

Technically it's your copyright (of your art) that's been infringed upon. Hope you can sort it out! x

I *just* opened an S6 page yesterday and just took the leap today and started adding my newest work. When I shared my big news on IG, a follower/fellow artist clued me in to your troubles. What a mess! I took down my artwork from there and read the "copyrights" section of there "help", which basically says that they are not in the business of protecting our copyrights from anyone else, they don't prevent right clicks and don't intend to, they don't allow watermarks and don't intend to, good luck and have a nice day. :(

Although the pillows looked adorable on the screen, I'm going back to etsy. Your website is beautiful. I'm glad you are no longer there and you caught them and at least slowed them down. And thank you very much for announcing this and perhaps protecting others from virtual pickpockets.

Blessings to you!

Lori Leissner

Kathy,
awful news! I'm really sorry.
These seem to be the often bad news from designers who decide to sell their lovely work through society6, and they still take no action to protect who really keeps them on business... just very frustrating! This is the reason I opened and then almost immediately closed my shop there. I really hope there's something you can do. Good you caught the bastards! I'll spread the news...

BTW... your work is SO ADORABLY FANTASTIC!!!

This makes me so angry for you. I adore your style and have seen you via instagram.
Having had my work copied, my images lifted, people selling my art and even taking pictures !!!can really understand how awful this is.
Your creativity, hard work, talent being Stolen by this company...i can't find them now so maybe they have removed themselves.
People say when i am copied it flattery !! how is theft flattery.
It's disheartening too to learn that your images where taken from society 6.
I can only hope you can get some resolution to this.

with best wishes

Heidi

Hi Kathy
This Facebook group I belong to could be a good place to post - Copyright Infringement Cases - or if you like I could post a link to your blog.
I can imagine how upset you must be. I only have to think of someone stealing my work and feel sick to my stomach. Hope you get it sorted. :) Carla

Their Twitter page is gone now and it says that their FB page doesn't exist. I hope that the fact that they were caught shamed them into pulling everything!!!

I'm so sorry this happened to you. You're art is wonderful! It should remain yours!

Kathy, this stinks. I just saw your posting about it on FB. GO GET 'EM. Businesses like these drive me INSANE. How dare they.

I'm thinking of you!!
xo

This comment has been removed by the author.

Sorry for the report--I wanted to included the name of the WA company. Here's the revised comment:

This is so scary! You know, I created an account at Society 6 last summer from the recommendation of a well-known male artist. I guess for once I can be grateful to my procrastination, because I never did log anything onto it. I am so, so sorry this has happened to you. )-: There's a small, but prominent, Seattle Design shop--MODERN DOG--that's been fighting Disney and Target for almost 2 years for copyright infringement. They said they may never win, but they're fighting on principle. They took donations on their website for a small amount of time to help fight legal costs. Already your actions of principle have affected them to remove social media sites and helped spread the word to so many others. Thank you for being an art crusader! Also, I will add that this issue led me to your art as well--which is adorable!

Here's the link to that story--I hope it helps you: http://www.king5.com/news/cities/seattle/Seattle-designers-sue-Disney-claims-copyright-infringement-179754381.html

Oops! I meant "repost." (-:

Hi everyone,

Apparently the pages of "Beaumont Stuffs" have been taken down..

I still do not understand why people do not make their OWN ART.

Shame on "Beaumont Stuffs"!!

Juju - THANKS for the link to the Modern Dog case (I'm a fan of theirs & I have a Modern Dog book of their design work :D ) Love the fighing on principle, though it is such a hard way to go... the stress... takes a steely will and an iron gut! ;) I'll check that link out, thanks!


Elizabeth - Thanks! Yes I noticed that... and POOF they are gone...

Vita - THANK YOU!! XO

Carla-Thanks for the name of the FB group! I'll visit there, but please feel free to post my blog link there if you like! :D Absolutely :)

Heidi/Little Nore - thanks so much! We will see what happens. They have disappeared into thin air but the one thing I can say is that they know I'm watching and that you all have rallied too! For my part, next time... oh there is many things I would do differently... I will be a silent ninja and I will be able to contact the other infringed-upon artists (things happened so fast I saw art I recognized but I did not get adequate-enough screen grabs..) NOT that I'm looking forward to a "next time"... just that I'll be better prepared. That's for sure. ;)


MaJo BV - THANK YOU for your support!! (And for your compliments of my work!! :D ) I greatly apreciate your nod to other artists, formerly with S6, who have had similar experience. That is really on my mind right now. (I'm about to post the letter I sent to S6. Please stay tuned for that one!)

Lori, Good for you for making an informed decision. I believe in making a decision based on information that is available, no matter what. What is important is that people share honest info from experience and that can factor in (or not, as the case may be) to another person's individual decision! :D Sharing is caring (and is good karma too!)

Juju - THANKS for the link to the Modern Dog case (I'm a fan of theirs & I have a Modern Dog book of their design work :D ) Love the fighing on principle, though it is such a hard way to go... the stress... takes a steely will and an iron gut! ;) I'll check that link out, thanks!


Elizabeth - Thanks! Yes I noticed that... and POOF they are gone...

Vita - THANK YOU!! XO

Carla-Thanks for the name of the FB group! I'll visit there, but please feel free to post my blog link there if you like! :D Absolutely :)

Heidi/Little Nore - thanks so much! We will see what happens. They have disappeared into thin air but the one thing I can say is that they know I'm watching and that you all have rallied too! For my part, next time... oh there is many things I would do differently... I will be a silent ninja and I will be able to contact the other infringed-upon artists (things happened so fast I saw art I recognized but I did not get adequate-enough screen grabs..) NOT that I'm looking forward to a "next time"... just that I'll be better prepared. That's for sure. ;)


MaJo BV - THANK YOU for your support!! (And for your compliments of my work!! :D ) I greatly apreciate your nod to other artists, formerly with S6, who have had similar experience. That is really on my mind right now. (I'm about to post the letter I sent to S6. Please stay tuned for that one!)

Lori, Good for you for making an informed decision. I believe in making a decision based on information that is available, no matter what. What is important is that people share honest info from experience and that can factor in (or not, as the case may be) to another person's individual decision! :D Sharing is caring (and is good karma too!)

So sorry to see & hear about this and I hope Society 6 can do something helpful towards resolving this issue for you. They really need to step up their game!

I am a textile designer and have thought about putting some designs up with them. Been dragging my feet about it as I was focusing on other projects. Now I think I may pass altogether on them.

Best of luck - I really like your work!

Hi Modern! Gee, I wrote a very detailed message to you a few hours ago on my iphone, and I lost it. So here is a new one...


Thanks for your support and comments! I know that S6 will do nothing for me but I really hope they make the decision to reinvestigate the model they have built on the intersection of business and community, and how they need to support each other, genuinely, literally.

Another issue is available information. They seem to keep cards so close to their vest when it comes to process. There is so painfully little on their web site about how things are actually made.

We are all artists, we understand printing process, dpi, color processes and the like.

Before I joined S6, I emailed them to find out further technical information regarding their process. They never really gave me a straight answer to that question.
(actual email exchange follows)

------------------------
Me:

Hi there!
I have a couple seller questions:
1) I have a detail of the larger image used for the iphone. That same image is used for the greeting card. Is it possible to instead choose the full image for the greeting card, and not the iphone-specific detail from the print?
2) My original art is 27.5" x 20.5", 300 dpi. The larger prints are larger than that size (22 x 28 and 36 x 28, with no option to remove the larger prints from sale). How can you get a good hi-res print that is larger than the original art without the quality suffering? Please let me know the answers to the above.
Thanks!
Best regards,
Kathy

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Society 6:

Thank you for contacting Society6 Support.

We use the asset you uploaded for the iPhone Cases/Skins to create the Stationery. If you need to EDIT these, just click "Add T-Shirts and More" at the top of any post to easily edit/delete other products that accompany your Art Print.

Our system automatically determines your available sizes based on industry standards and the amount of pixels in your file. These sizes created by our system can not be edited or changed. You are able to EDIT and replace the file at any time.

I hope this helps!

(name of Society 6 Support person here)

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They are simply not transparent about their process. I should have seen this as a red flag. And I guess, on some level, I did, after all.

I really hate that this happened to you, Kathy. I wish more people would realize that taking someone's art without permission to make a profit is THEFT not flattery. I'm so glad I did not upload any work to my S6 shop yet, especially after reading this part of their stance on copyright protection that you posted:

"Please remember, finding your artwork on another site is usually a good thing!...You won't make any friends if you're issuing unwarranted DMCA takedown notices to someone trying to give your work more exposure because they admire it!"

Yes, exposure is great, but finding your work on a site that is making money off of your designs without your knowledge or consent is horrendous (I know, it happened to me for the first time this Summer and it was a TERRIBLE feeling)...

Well...keep on truckin', Girl! Your artwork rocks- here's to lots of awesome *legitimate* deals coming your way soon!!!

Genevieve, THANKS SO MUCH for your support!! :D XO Seriously that sentence gives me shivers, too. Again, they are so vague. If pressed they will surely say that what they mean is that if people are promoting your work on their blog, who are you to argue with the exposure. Of course, two wrong things with that. 1) People need to get in the habit of asking permission before posting work that is not their own regardless of the situation. This is just a given. 2) That sentence itself is so dubious, shady, and opaque and it is clear that it's that way on purpose. It was probably written by their lawyers.

Hugs!!
kathy

I had a similar problem last year...before I decided that www.ryanhipp.com would be he most efficient, least-confusing domain for myself (albeit not the most fun or clever) I had a few monikers out there, and the subsequent domains.

I'll actually spare you the stories, but actually had a few battles for the rights to the words I had registered as domains. In the end, some of them it was easier to give up the word because it wasn't worth the confusion it would cause worrying about people misassociating me with oher inarnations of those monikers on the web.

You story sucks because its your NAME for one, and secondly you have a history of owning the domain.

I would maybe put up a banner for the next few months on your site (or make a "sticky" blog post that stays at the top for a while) with a note saying "Note: I am not the same Kathy Weller as KathyWellerDesigns.com".

That sucks, girl.

Ryan

This is truly horrifying, Kathy. Thanks for the heads up.

Ryan-THANKS for that idea!! I put a note at the top of my blog right nav bar. Great idea.

What a terrible thing Kathy! You could find out who hosts that domain and who it belongs to and send them a 'nice' letter since it is clearly a scam and not used to promote anything legitimate. You could also work with the hosting company if they are in the U.S. Sometimes these things are automated. The hosting company holds on to the domain and puts up dummy text with what used to be the most searched words to get to that site. It is used to generate traffic and promote their services and other ads.
As someone mentioned before, you have a history of having that name and if they are in the US, you could have legal recourse.
Good luck!
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