Yeah - it would be against the "law" (as to speak) - becuase the original was is copyrighted... HOWEVER - - - Now this is where it gets really ugly in the texture business - because unless you can prove that you own the rights to the original photo - you are yourself breaking copyright law if you take a photo (from lets say playboy) and use that photo in making your own texture. Proving that they used a copyright photo would almost be impossible (especially if the texturer is good) - however never-the-less, just because it can't be proved - it is still against the law (if you don't believe me - go read copyright laws in US, and UK regarding use of photos and alterations of photos for profit). It would be like using a photo from someone else, using it in your own picture and then taking credit for it... bad vibes... :) Now - to confuse things even more, there is also a statement regarding academic use. Which states for academic use you can use 10% - however at the same time you still have to give reference to the original creator. And I'm not 100% sure how that refers to art/pictures - I believe that is only for the written word. I think art is covered simularly to computer programs - in which you can not use any part of a computer program for your own use - even 10% of it is against the law (unless otherwise stated by the person who made the program - ie - open source) It is the same with stories - someone might take your story and alter it - blur the text, the plot and then release it - if there is enough "noticeable" and "traceable" simularities it could allow the person to go to court to try and prove the person copied the work. There was a music example of that a while back also - where a song was used which had the same melody and bassline then another, but it had the same words - however the original creator of the piece wasn't given royalities for using the song. So back to the case at hand - yes, if the case was that someone used someone elses texture to make their own texture - they could be in trouble, especially if it was proveable. However - the proof that would need to be presented to prove that would have to be very high - because no jury would convict someone on "oh the shades are simular" - there would have to be proof on how it was changed, where it was changed, the process that would be required to change it, and then the money value and if it was worth the effort. I can't say that is case in question is proveable or not - the "law" (well the Renderosity Law) has already spoken on this matter - from what I'm informed, and they are the jury in this case... What I am stating is that people can still be angry at Stefyzz - however be angry for the right reasons. She had a right to question the simularities between the two textures (hell I would of) because of the clear reasons I have explained above However she had/has NO right to be rude about it, harrasse Bobby after the before and after the fact, and certainly has no right to cause issues with products that Bobby has proof she has purchased. And if she is being Harrased outside of Renderosity she HAS to take this up with her Credit Card company, and ISP, and try and deal with it. There is nothing you, I, or anyone else here can do until she has taken those steps (which I hope she has) to deal with this issue. She doesn't deserve this - no one does. There is a "law" in this community - the moderators, and the administration - I would of personally thought stefyzz should have learnt by now that negative attacks on people don't help her, or the community. She needs to learn to use the "law" to mediate between her and others before she starts harrassing and judging members of our wonderful community. -------------- I have been asked in private what my knowledge is about copyright and stuff like that. I have done a few papers in university, and have also been a "auhtor" for over 10 years, and also had to find out my rights before I did electronic posting/stories helped (which I'm sorry - electronic rights still arn't much yet - unless you have the money). In regards to photoshop - I have been using that program for photo manipulation/desktop design and other stuff for about 6 years now - so know a bit about altering one thing to be another. WiNC