**** LABELING!!!! **** Again, I am not an attorney, but from reading the information on the links at the Copyright Office in the previous part, it is my layman's understanding that a copyright is created as soon as you create the work. Nothing else is required - once you make it - it is yours - you don't have to do anything else! However, when you add "Copyright (C) 2007 - Your_Name - All Rights Reserved" you are letting the honest people know that the work is NOT in the public domain - AND - you are making a strong statement to the crooks that any use of your work is not "accidental" but is a WILLFUL violation of your copyright! That word "WILLFUL" has a lot of different meanings depending upon the jurisdiction and I am not an attorney that can straighten out all the repercussions. BUT - from common sense, it would seem that a WILLFUL violation is a lot worse than an ACCIDENTAL violation. And similarly, the consequences of willful violations are much worse! I can't tell anyone what to do, but it seems to me that if you want to stop folks from ripping you off, the first step is to LABEL your work! Add all the copyright information, add contact information, and add something like my "meredithwilson as seen on Renderosity" to make it immediately obvious that it is stolen! **** RECRUIT POLICE!!!! **** First - RECRUIT YOURSELF!!! If you see someone else's work someplace it doesn't belong, TELL THEM so they can do something about it!! Copy the URL of the violation page and IM or E-mail it to the owner!! As you look at different sites, be aware of anything that looks wrong! No one is going to mind receiving a false alarm!! Second - RECRUIT EVERYONE YOU KNOW!!! Pass the word around to every person you know here! Pass it on to everyone you know on other sites! Pass it to family, friends, co-workers, everyone that surfs the net! The more folks that are watching the quicker the crooks will be found. Third - as I said in the previous part, Renderosity can not help us enforce copyrights - that must be done only by the copyright owner. But what Renderosity CAN DO is help us in publicizing the need for vigilance by everyone!!! As soon as I finish this, I'm going to be IM'ing the Renderosity staff to see what help they can provide. Maybe they will put a notice on the front page to alert people. **** FILE COMPLAINTS!!!! **** If someone is using your stuff in violation of your copyright, you need to file a complaint telling them to stop! In some cases this can be difficult because they don't make it easy to find e-mail addresses, physical addresses, phone numbers, etc. This is particularly true of site that are in languages that you don't speak!! But you have to persevere! Dig through the site until you find something you can use! And don't forget that Renderosity has users in 186 countries!! Someone here speaks the language on the site!! Ask for help in finding e-mail addresses! And once you find information of a violator, pass the information on for others to use!!! If you will send it to me, I will make sure that it is made public for everyone to use! **** COMPLAINT CONTENTS!!!! **** We have sent out a number of copyright and trademark violation notices - and have gotten results. I am not offering legal advice. This is nothing more than an example of how I as a layman would create a copyright violation notice for this particular post!!! NOTICE OF UNAUTHORIZED USE OF COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL 1. A description of the infringing activity. The copyrighted work, "Meredith_0269, Copyright Enforcement," owned by Meredith Wilson Corporation, copyright holder, is being displayed on your web site www.ArtThieves.com without our expressed permission. 2. Identification of the location where the original authorized copyrighted work exists. The URL of the page here at Renderosity where the work was first "published." 3. Identification of the location where the infringing material is located. The URL of the infringing page on their site. 4. Identification and description of the infringing material. The infringing material is identified as "Meredith_0269, Copyright Enforcement," owned by Meredith Wilson Corporation , copyright holder, and first posted on the Renderosity web site on March 9, 2007. 5. My contact address, telephone number, and e-mail address 6. A statement that you have a good faith belief that the disputed use is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law. Meredith Wilson Corporation has a good faith belief that the copyrighted work, "Meredith_0269, Copyright Enforcement," is being used in a manner not authorized by Meredith Wilson Corporation, copyright holder, or by its agent, or by law. 7. A statement by you, under penalty of perjury, that the information in your notice is accurate and that you are the copyright owner I, Meredith Elaine Wilson, President of Meredith Wilson Corporation, under penalty of perjury, state that this notice is accurate and that Meredith Wilson Corporation is the copyright owner of "Meredith_0269, Copyright Enforcement." 8. An electronic or physical signature of the owner of the copyright Meredith Elaine Wilson President Meredith Wilson Corporation 9. Date **** I hope this gives everyone a few things to think about. I strongly encourage you to label your work and to recruit everyone you know to help guard all of our work!! Love, Meredith PS - And just for the record: Copyright (C) 2007 - Meredith Wilson Corporation - All Rights Reserved As posted by meredithwilson on Renderosity

OMG Meredith. You can be my personal secretary any time! lol Well said! I think everyone should be marking their work, because it appears, nothing is sacred any more and after reading the threads in the copyright forum, some people appear to be totally hacked off by all the theft and deceit. If there was money to be made by taking us on as a client, I'm sure some major attorney could make a big hole into anyone's defence, who tries to steal what basically isn't theirs! Steve :o)

You might want to add DAZ to to the list. About a month ago a representative from DAZ posted an animation about Bryce 6 on Youtube.com. All of the artists in the video are Bryce artists. From my understanding none of the artists were asked permission to have their images used for the animation on YouTube. When you upload an image on the DAZ website you give permission (in the upload agreement) for DAZ to use your image on their site, not on YOutube. In addition, if they were to use it somewhere else DAZ is supposed to give full credits of the artists. DAZ didn't do a thing even when I brought it to their attention. Here is the agreement which is posted on the daz website when any artist uploads an image: "Note: All images in this gallery are copyrighted and owned by the artist. By submitting to this gallery, the artist agrees to grant DAZ the right to print or otherwise re-publish the submitted images in various marketing or web materials so long as credit is given to the artist as the original creator of the image(s). No image(s) may be taken or used without permission by the artist." As far as I see DAZ3D has violated the agreement and unauthorized use of material protected by intellectual property rights law. No credit was give to any of the artists in the video. The images were taken and used WITHOUT permission from the artists.

Good advice for those who are concerned with people taking what isn't there's. Personally, But what if you post the same image in multiple places, won't you have to change the "as seen on" for every place? (Just a thought)

Great words meredith. I agree whith you. fact is, i regonized that a lot of people who put me on the Fav list, just collect artwork. Why ? They are not active member, they dont comment work and they dont upload images. They just collect images to their fav list. This is suspect for me. Hugs and take care.

Sorry, but half of the suff I see here is not worth ripping off. I would love to see the image that was ripped off.

holy hick what's happppppppppening Had to read it all .. but it is dazzling info so our images emerge on Siberian sites.. grin that is ICE cold info and it gives me the shiffers.. and goose bumbs and "kippenvel" (chicken skin, which is the same as goose bumbs, but than in Dutch :) on top of it !! my next image will be for you ! (tomorrow) (C)hris

"Sorry, but half of the suff I see here is not worth ripping off. I would love to see the image that was ripped off." So very true. And what about hotlinked images?

You don't need to be a member of Renderosity to view full size images and be able to DL them to re-post somewhere else!!!!

Good information to have Meredith!

ohhh, so excellent and usely information my lady dear !!! Good day and hugs :)

Thank you Meredith! I like your template. Just to compare, here is what An Image Storage Website sent me as to how to organize my complaint to them: "Please complete the following: NOTICE OF ALLEGED COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT 1. Identify the copyrighted work that you claim has been infringed, or; if multiple copyrighted works are covered by this Notice; provide a representative list of the copyrighted works that you claim have been infringed. Direct links to the original images or digital copies must be provided: 2. Identify the material or link you claim is infringing (or is the subject of infringing activity) and that access to which is to be disabled, including at a minimum, if applicable, the URL of the link shown on the Photobucket service where such material may be found: 3. Provide your mailing address, telephone number, and, if available, email address: 4. The following statement must be included in the body of the Notice: I hereby state that I have a good faith belief that the disputed use of the copyrighted material is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law (e.g., fair use) 5. I hereby state that the information in this Notice is accurate and, under penalty of perjury that (CHOOSE ONE): I am the copyright owner, or authorized to act on behalf of the copyright owner or I am authorized to act under an exclusive right of the copyright that is allegedly infringed. 6. Provide full legal name and the electronic or physical signature of the owner, or of a person authorized to act on behalf of the owner, of the copyright or of any exclusive right under the copyright. Please direct this form, with all items completed to _____'s Designated Copyright Agent:(snip) So here is some legalese for us to plug in as needed. I'm happy to say that all the places that i have complained to have been good about removing images. Luckily it doesn't happen often to me;-)

Thanks so much for the daily information!!!

Thank you Meredith for all the valuable information that you put here, is not the first time that stolen of images is denounced, previously other artists announced this way it. Without doubts the trust kills the man, the desire to put big images so that they can be enjoyed perhaps with all splendor it will no longer be been able to make, it is known well that an image of 700x700 pixels and with a resolution of 72 dpi they are not possible to print, but equally anything assures us that the works to be but small they don't integrate an images gallery a cd or dvd, without we have knowledge of it.

See my post on your previous image. All those things are easily removed.

Well done!!!!

so i wonder who got this going now, well what's next?

Well said. Won't stop them, but might slow some down. :)

I read and hear that they will not go after the rip off artist because the court can not find the real artist. lol That all I know

Thankyou Meredith!!!

with out doubt Meredith you are one of the most detailed people I know. you should have been a lawyer as you would be excellent

More imortant advice! Thanks from all of us!

Here is my new warning label on my stuff: "Warning! You rip off my stuff, which is COPYRIGHTED, I will certainly sic Meredith Wilson on you!!" That will make them sit up and take notice. :o) Way to go, girl!!

Hey the Cold War ISN'T over yet !!! so let's be on guard and I agree with Medley and LMAO, give that boy some chocolate or Borscht ! Another big effort Meredith, you can be my lawyer anytime, I also pay with chocolate and ice cream ! Well done ~Cheers~

I could've swore I replied to this advice. I guess I missed submitting it. Okay, I postmarked this page for future reference.

More excellent information. Great ideas and suggestions. You may not be a lawyer but you should be!!! Excellent advice for all!

DeviantArt has an explanation about their third party clause that links to a second clause that creates a need to notify and secure permission when such third party links are more than casual by administrators. Computers were supposed to enhance "accountability." Let's not give up on them yet.

Terrific info..thanks Meredith!!

The Russian sites seem to be stealing the most stuff from us.

Have you seen the site Bobby Peacock has found if not go take a look some people just take them anyway they don't care. This is very interesting to read :) Cathy xoxoxo