Sorry - we have had to remove all large images of the Baroque Bohemian Cats' deck

I don't want to tell the whole story, but we have had a real scare and we think someone may be attempting to steal the work on the Cats deck (it is no-one here and absolutely nothng to do with anyone at AT).
I've therefore removed ALL the larger pictures that were linked from here. I'm sorry to have had to do this, but we really can't take any chances.

The work on the website is only low-res and so it's safe I think. Please enjoy that!

A bit too shaken to say much more - plus we have some legal action underway so can't say much.

It only takes one horrible person...

I always fear for the wonderful artists who display their pre-publication work on the Internet; so many unscrupulous types are out there in the world, and the copyright concept doesn't mean much to them. I am so sorry to hear that you are going through an experience of this kind. It has happened to me, too (involving writing), and it is no picnic.

I'm really sorry to hear that - you deserve better than this.

Hope you manage to get it all resolved satisfactorily.

Thanks. I think it will be alright but it has been a dreadful shock. If you have been through this Astraea then you know how it feels.

Still, it is all in hand. We have a wonderful motherly woman here who advises us on anything legal or financial. She is very protective and very reassuring - and very well qualified.

I probably just need to forget all this and do an appropriate card as a way of working it out- the Five of Swords maybe - I could put a lot of emotion into that one right now!

Thanks again. I'm sorry this happened to you too Astraea.

Oh how horrible!!!

That is an aspect of the internet that absolutely terrifies me.... Maybe we should make the Tarot Deck Creation apart of the Subrscribers section.......

Hugs to you, Karen..... Prayers for your beloved project.

Oh I am so sorry to hear of this misfortune, Baba Prague!

Deep breaths...think of Lavender!

It is really terrible that someone would steal someone elses artwork (or any creation.)

(While I enjoyed seeing the large images, the low res ones work just as well!)
And anyway, I will really enjoy the full images when I buy the finished deck, and hold it in my hands!

Calm blessings to you!

~Chronata

It's an unfortunate fact of life that there are people in the world who take rather than give.

Karen, I'm sorry to hear that this has happened to you and Alex but am glad to hear that you've caught it in time. Perhaps after some time has passed you'll feel able to tell us the whole story so that others can take similar precautions.

The good thing about this board in particular is that it helps establish in fact who orginated the images. Every post has a date/time stamp.

Hi Tom,

It's funny you should say that because I just was writing the same thing (in my blog, but I've restricted the access - but it helped me to write more about the whole thing). I think in fact there are safeguards as well as risks in posting on the web. It does leave a trace if you ever have to prove whose work something is (I hope it will never come to that - the very thought is horrendous).

There are a lot of lessons to be drawn - we are careful but we definitely came quite close to something very nasty happening. I think we've caught it in time. At some point I will try to say more, though this is a public forum and the problem is that the details could be used as a tutorial in "how to steal someone's intellectual property rights" - we've had an encounter with someone who I think has done this before and has quite a clever technique. I would rather not pass too much information on to any "lurkers" here.

All I will say to the designers here is once more PLEASE BE CAREFUL - and this includes being careful with anyone who you let into the studio.
This work we do to design any of our (as in everyone here) decks takes a huge amount of time as we all know. There are people out there who don't want to put in the thousands of hours - they simply want to take it from someone else. Just be very very cautious. Seriously.

Wonderful as the internet is, the dangers for theft of images and text is always out there for any creative work. I've always worried that few of the deck images here, yours and others, have text written across them to help block scavengers (though even that could be removed with software).

Super caution requires no apologies--we're all supporting your success in producing this deck!

Karen,

I just wanted to extend my sympathy. I am so sorry that this is the reward for your enormous generosity in sharing the images with us. We have all taken so much pleasure in sharing your creation process, and drooling over the gorgeous images. I know how happy I was each time you posted a new one and I could drag all my housemates to my computer to see the pretty kitties! They thought I was nuts, of course, but after the first few they were always eager to come see the new ones! It has been such a lovely, lovely treat, and I wanted to say thank you. And of course that I am so angry someone would try to steal your months and months of labors. A labor of love, yes, but still laborious! I am glad to hear you are able to cut them off - would it be too old testament of me to hope you can make them PAY?

Good luck with this wretched affair. Don't be too surprised if a legal battle sucks away some of your creative energy for a time - I promise it will come back!

Laura