" These threads are a common way for merchants to gain publicity. There are a few old hands in there." thats not the first time someone has insinuated that - the first to do so was umutov himself. i dont want any publicity here. if you noticed, i hardly even post in the forums anymore - ive barely said anything here in years, whereas before that i was one of the loudest voices in any discussion. i just want to mind my own business, do my work, make a living and be left alone. i would gladly have avoided this entire issue altogether - but it has occurred, through no action of my own. i didnt solicit him to steal my work and pass it off as his own. you think i enjoy having my hard work pilfered by someone so arrogant and conceited, resold for 4 months under his name at 2 different stores, and then having him IM me with smug remarks about how my reporting him for these violations will be but a minor inconvenience for him? i only wish you become a merchant, release something worth stealing, and have something like this happen to you so you can feel what its like. i cannot begin to describe to you how i felt at 2am friday morning over a week ago when i looked at his promos in his store and started recognizing my work.. then clicked the next product and saw it again, and again, and again. the feeling when realising that some of them have been in the store since october. not to mention the rage when he sent me his smug IMs, or the frustration ovver the week of my life that he wasted when he does not deserve even a moment of passing consideration. this person feels no remorse whatsoever. not over the theft of my work, nor the theft of as shanim's or daz's. he feels no guilt. the only thing he feels right now is anger at myself and the store admins who banned him - he sees this as an 'injustice' to him. it still hasnt sunk in - and probably never will - that only he is to blame for this happening to him. and please, enough with the 'there is good in him' and 'im sure he is so saddened by this...' posts - dont make me puke. a quick search in the merchant forum for his name and you will see exactly what a sweet, helpful and ethical person he is. he was a shining beacon of virtue at renderosity. rolls eyes " It's obvious that the thread was planned by the perpetrators in order to bring attention to the alleged offense." alleged offence? have you seen the comparisons? 6 products have been pulled by two stores, and i have just reported one more. both stores examined them, as well as daz and 3rd parties, and there wasnt any doubt. he included daz V3 morph information in several of the packs that was unaltered - and could be mathematicallly compared. if by 'alleged' you mean that he hasnt been convicted in a court of law then you must be mad. if the only way for someone to be seen as a thief in the community is if i spend months of my time and thousands of my dollars to have him extradited from australia to canada and charge him formally in a court of law over the theft of an intangible internet item that made a few thousand dollars tops, then noone will ever be seen as a thief and copyright violations will run rampant because that is beyond the reach of even a full studio like Daz3D's resources. its the knowledge of the anonimity and relative freedom from criminal prosecution that the internet affords that gives these people the nerve to do these things in the first place... then people like you and acadia flock to their defense - for god knows what agenda - and make it even worse. what is your agenda btw? you would be happy to just sweep it under the rug? just pretend it didnt happen? well, im not going to let that happen, and you can argue in here until youre blue in the face and its not going to change that in the least. wherever he decides to show up, under whatever nickname, ill be there to point out just what type of person he is. i did not ask for this to happen - nor did i do anything to invite it. it has happened though, and i am fully involved now, and im damned well going to make certain that he never does this again, anywhere, to anyone.