cirom
This is a sort of open letter to all tarot artists.
The issue of copyright infringement has been discusses on several other threads, but I believe it warrants yet another, and one that is also a call to action.
In the past I have had several run ins with this issue, as I'm sure many of you have also. From use of your images on the internet without permission to extreme cases where an entire set of images were reproduced and a pirated copy of the deck resulted.
In my personal case, I usually turn a blind eye to it although I normally contact the person behind it and point out the situation and giving them the benefit of the doubt. I simply request that they at least include my name and a link to my site. If they respond in an appropriate manner, I have often even provided better images. On very few occasions have I actually insisted that the images be removed, in one case because it was offering a commercial service and was a corporate site as opposed to an individual, and on another because the images were being offered for further download... and not even with my name.
Which brings me to my point. Recently there have been instances of products being offered on e-bay, namely sets of CDs with images of various decks, including mine and more than likely several others members here. Not only was my permission not given (or even requested), the CDs are being obviously offered for sale, and with enticing suggestions for their use, such as "print out your own copies, even sell them". That is plainly well over the top and represents a dangerous direction.
http://cgi.ebay.com/17-500-TAROT-CA...1QQcmdZViewItem
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...em=350046696063
I have contacted two sellers offering variations on the theme, and I'm waiting for confirmation that my two decks will be removed from the disks as they promised. Nevertheless I am assuming that they won't have been and have started at least to prepare for that likelihood. I will be sending a fax to e-bay later today requesting that the items in question be removed in their entirety. But its seems that the documents they accept for these requests must be from the copyright holder in order for them to act. So I cannot complain about the item as a whole, but merely my particular images, a small percentage of the total.
I have also informed Llewellyn of the situation. I'm assuming they will act accordingly, even without any additional prompting from.
Nevertheless, what is'nt clear is wether the sellers of these CDs are one and the same as the producers, or simply passing on the goods on behalf of others who spend their time compiling these libraries of images, (not just tarot cards btw). Either way there seems to be an increasing number of such collections available and this is the dangerous trend I was referring to. Are they all the same people simply using different seller identities or just a new trend in general?
I recommend we join forces if we are to combat this. If we keep an eye out for each other, inform each other of new infringements as they occur, and almost by default send the correposnding complaints to e-bay or whoever, then while we may not resolve the problem each and every time, we might least let it gradually become less attractive and cost effective for these sellers. If they know that they will almost surely reported and removed form e-bay it might make a difference.
If e-bay receive a prompt deluge of complaints from us as a group, to every instance we come across, hopefully they will respond more swiftyly ???? and ultimately it will at least make these sellers think twice.
In additions to any other ideas or opinions you may have, I'm suggesting that all interested parties PM me and each other, so that we can keep a list of each others e-mails, be ready to keep each other informed and as required act in unison.
Ciro.
The issue of copyright infringement has been discusses on several other threads, but I believe it warrants yet another, and one that is also a call to action.
In the past I have had several run ins with this issue, as I'm sure many of you have also. From use of your images on the internet without permission to extreme cases where an entire set of images were reproduced and a pirated copy of the deck resulted.
In my personal case, I usually turn a blind eye to it although I normally contact the person behind it and point out the situation and giving them the benefit of the doubt. I simply request that they at least include my name and a link to my site. If they respond in an appropriate manner, I have often even provided better images. On very few occasions have I actually insisted that the images be removed, in one case because it was offering a commercial service and was a corporate site as opposed to an individual, and on another because the images were being offered for further download... and not even with my name.
Which brings me to my point. Recently there have been instances of products being offered on e-bay, namely sets of CDs with images of various decks, including mine and more than likely several others members here. Not only was my permission not given (or even requested), the CDs are being obviously offered for sale, and with enticing suggestions for their use, such as "print out your own copies, even sell them". That is plainly well over the top and represents a dangerous direction.
http://cgi.ebay.com/17-500-TAROT-CA...1QQcmdZViewItem
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...em=350046696063
I have contacted two sellers offering variations on the theme, and I'm waiting for confirmation that my two decks will be removed from the disks as they promised. Nevertheless I am assuming that they won't have been and have started at least to prepare for that likelihood. I will be sending a fax to e-bay later today requesting that the items in question be removed in their entirety. But its seems that the documents they accept for these requests must be from the copyright holder in order for them to act. So I cannot complain about the item as a whole, but merely my particular images, a small percentage of the total.
I have also informed Llewellyn of the situation. I'm assuming they will act accordingly, even without any additional prompting from.
Nevertheless, what is'nt clear is wether the sellers of these CDs are one and the same as the producers, or simply passing on the goods on behalf of others who spend their time compiling these libraries of images, (not just tarot cards btw). Either way there seems to be an increasing number of such collections available and this is the dangerous trend I was referring to. Are they all the same people simply using different seller identities or just a new trend in general?
I recommend we join forces if we are to combat this. If we keep an eye out for each other, inform each other of new infringements as they occur, and almost by default send the correposnding complaints to e-bay or whoever, then while we may not resolve the problem each and every time, we might least let it gradually become less attractive and cost effective for these sellers. If they know that they will almost surely reported and removed form e-bay it might make a difference.
If e-bay receive a prompt deluge of complaints from us as a group, to every instance we come across, hopefully they will respond more swiftyly ???? and ultimately it will at least make these sellers think twice.
In additions to any other ideas or opinions you may have, I'm suggesting that all interested parties PM me and each other, so that we can keep a list of each others e-mails, be ready to keep each other informed and as required act in unison.
Ciro.
